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http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/j...ckJLShotvEQ7QJ

Jets, Giants sue to block New Jersey megamall

http://www.nypost.com/r/nypost/2012/...A--525x350.jpg

June 26, 2012

Quote:

Officials from the New York Giants and the New York Jets said the proposed "American Dream Meadowlands" megamall violates an agreement that grants them approval of any expansion plans at the Meadowlands complex, located about 10 miles west of New York City in East Rutherford. The mall site sits across a highway from the $1.6 billion MetLife Stadium where both teams play and where the 2014 Super Bowl is slated to be held. Lawyers representing the teams claim the project will create "a transportation nightmare" that will adversely affect football fans, according to the injunction, filed Friday in superior court in Bergen County

http://www.hudsonreporter.com/view/f...ry_left_column

Mayors consider joining Jets and Giants lawsuit against American Dream project

http://matchbin-assets.s3.amazonaws....ndream24_1.jpg

June 27, 2012

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The mayors that represent the 14 Meadowlands District municipalities are considering joining the New York Giants and New York Jets in a lawsuit filed last week against the expansion plans for the American Dream project, a mega-retail and entertainment complex that is being built on Route 3 near the MetLife Stadium. The project was formerly known as "Xanadu."

Both sports teams are seeking an injuction to prevent the developers Triple Five Group from reviving the project, according to news reports. The lawsuit filed in a state court in Bergen County last week alleges that Triple Five did not receive their consent to expand the project.

"We are actually considering filing an amicus brief and joining the Giants and the Jets suit because we have no other alternative," said William Roseman, Mayor of Carlstadt during a meeting of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) this morning (Wednesday morning). "[We have] no other avenue for us to address the impact this is going to have."

What a clusterf**k. I think one of those teams should have tried to build a stadium in the outer boroughs of NYC so there would be better public transportation access. Either by Aqueduct Raceway or Willets Point would have been good potential sites.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbarn (Post 5756128)

One of them did, the JETS. They were well on their way, even after the state's portion of the funding was knocked down by Silver. It was a small percentage, but the overall cost of building that stadium proved to be too much, and even the Queens alternative wasn't worth it when the GIANTS came with a solution - build a shared stadium in the Meadowlands at much less the cost.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/11/ny...1&ref=nyregion

DreamWorks Animation Announces Plans for Meadowlands Amusement Park

By CHARLES V. BAGLI
July 10, 2012

Quote:

The Hollywood studio DreamWorks Animation has struck a deal to bring Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and other animated movie characters to a planned amusement park as part of a revived entertainment and retail mall in the New Jersey Meadowlands.

It would be the first theme park based on the studio’s animated movies since DreamWorks’s earlier plans for parks in China, Abu Dhabi and Dubai failed to work out. DreamWorks has sought to capitalize on the huge popularity of its films, much as Disney and Universal Studios have in the United States, Europe and Asia. The indoor theme park would include rides, attractions and a glass-enclosed wave pool incorporating characters from the studio’s movies.

Triple Five, the developer of the Mall of America, has renamed the project American Dream and drawn up plans to make it even bigger, with nearly 1.7 million square feet of retail space, an indoor ski hill, indoor sky diving, bowling, an aquarium, a live theater and the 14.7-acre amusement park.

What a joke , the Highway system cannot handle all the extra congestion and the further damage to the Meadowlands will hurt the regional Eco-system. Also the land is soft and can't support a massive building hench the cracks...why not build something like this in Jersey City or Elizabeth or Secaucus?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey (Post 5762181)

The American Dream complex is already on a rail line, and obviously the cities you mention don't have hundreds of acres of prime empty land for amusement parks and the like.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crawford (Post 5762202)

The American Dream complex is already on a rail line, and obviously the cities you mention don't have hundreds of acres of prime empty land for amusement parks and the like.

We already have 4 Mega Malls in this county will huge traffic headaches , the Rail line Question is not in service except Game days and NJT hasn't hinted at turning into a regular line. The Cities I mention do have alot of un-used land about 1 SQ worth...some cases... Is there a need for this ? Alot of people in the area are against this project due to the botched past and lack of infrastructure , we always seem to get the short end of the stick or given the bill which taxes then go up. There was also alot of corruption with this project , tax breaks and abatement's....money not well spent considering the state isn't in good shop. You could argue jobs , but there mostly Min wage Jobs...

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYguy (Post 5756764)

Didn't help with the fact that in order for the Jets Stadium to be build, it was planned to be the centerpiece of NYC's doomed 2012 Olympic bid

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey (Post 5763082)

We already have 4 Mega Malls in this county will huge traffic headaches , the Rail line Question is not in service except Game days and NJT hasn't hinted at turning into a regular line.

Not true. NJ Transit already said they will turn it into regular service once the complex opens.

There currently is no regular service because there is nothing there. They currently only run service when there are events at the stadium or arena. Obviously this changes once there are tons of hotels, shops, attractions, etc.

The whole point of the chosen location is to take advantage of the rail access to Manhattan.

Quote:

Originally Posted by blacktrojan3921 (Post 5763086)

Didn't help with the fact that in order for the Jets Stadium to be build, it was planned to be the centerpiece of NYC's doomed 2012 Olympic bid

The Manhattan Jets/Olympic proposal was already cancelled before the Olympics vote.

There was no Olympic stadium plan when the vote was taken, though there was a last-ditch proposal to put it in Queens.

Quote:

Originally Posted by blacktrojan3921 (Post 5763086)

Didn't help with the fact that in order for the Jets Stadium to be build, it was planned to be the centerpiece of NYC's doomed 2012 Olympic bid

That had nothing to do with it. The stadium was going to be built, it was what helped the City with that bid.

It doesn't matter now. The Giants and Jets are both in the meadowlands, and they don't want this megamall/amusement park built. But it seems a little late for that now.

http://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2...s_lawsuit.html

American Dream Meadowlands developers ask court to throw out Jets, Giants lawsuit

July 10, 2012

Quote:

The developers of the American Dream Meadowlands project are asking a superior court to throw out a lawsuit filed against them by their neighbors, the ownership of the New York Jets and Giants football teams.

The teams' suit, filed in Bergen County Superior Court in June, contended that the developers had violated a 2006 agreement of cooperation by not seeking their consent for the additional facilities, planned to be built adjacent to the existing structure.

"The litigation is a transparent attempt to circumvent an ongoing, state mandated, legislatively promulgated administrative review process," Triple Five spokesman Alan Marcus said in a statement following the motion. "The teams are attempting to use the courts to make our days and hours of operation subject to their self-interest in controlling the entire complex on game days."

Karen J. Kessler, a spokeswoman for the Giants and Jets, described the motion as "meritless.

____________________________________________

http://www.northjersey.com/news/NJ_S...m_project.html

N.J. Sports Exposition Authority joins developer in seeking dismissal of Jets, Giants suit

July 12, 2012
BY JOHN BRENNAN

Quote:

The state agency that serves as landlord for MetLife Stadium and the planned American Dream project has taken the side of the mall developers in their legal dispute with the football teams that play at the stadium. Attorneys for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority filed a motion late Wednesday in Superior Court in Hackensack to dismiss the bid by the Giants and the Jets for an injunction against plans to expand the project beyond the existing elements of the former Xanadu complex. Triple Five¸ the developer, wants to add indoor water and amusement parks as part of what would become a $3.7-billion project.

“The teams are essentially asking this court for an opinion based on a hypothetical action: If the modification is approved, and the modification results in an adverse effect on the Teams’ use of the sports complex, then the Teams’ consent rights have been violated,” the attorneys wrote. “The Court need not reach such a hypothetical determination at this time. Indeed, it is possible that the [NJSEA’s master plan committee] could reject Triple Five’s proposal, which of course would obviate the need for the Teams’ lawsuit entirely.”

_______________________________________________

http://community.nasdaq.com/News/201...storyid=155005

Can DreamWorks' Indoor Theme Park Outshine Disney World?

7/11/2012
by Louis Bedigian

Quote:

DreamWorks (NASDAQ: DWA ) has signed a deal with Triple Five to produce an indoor theme park in the New Jersey Meadowlands. Designed as part of the American Dream project, the theme park will feature characters from the animation studio's most popular films, including Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, Puss in Boots, and Madagascar.

In addition to the DreamWorks theme park, American Dream will feature an indoor water park, an indoor ice skating rink, an indoor ski and snowboard park, a movie theater, nearly 1.7 million square feet of retail space, and 150,000 square feet of "fine dining" and restaurants.

The project is 80 percent complete. But according to American Dream's website , "Triple Five and its team of experts, architects and designers are making changes to the exterior to improve aesthetics and to the interior to improve retail attraction and retention. Triple Five is also adding new world scale interactive components including, amongst other things, an amusement park, ice rink and water park, to make American Dream a true tourism entertainment center."

The theme park portion of American Dream will be the first in North America to exclusively feature DreamWorks Animation characters.

Another step closer. Personally not a fan of the project but as long as thy get rid of that eyesore of a facade from Xanadu, at least it will be an improvement.

Quote:

The(American)Dream advances
Jul 28th, 2012 @ 09:59 am › John Brennan
http://blog.northjersey.com/meadowla...ream-advances/

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has just given out its water quality permits to Triple Five for the planned indoor water and amusement parks at the American Dream Meadowlands site formerly known as Xanadu.

Now, just a few other hurdles remain – in some cases, potentially enormous hurdles – before this entertainment and retail project with a Dreamworks Animation theme (think Shrek + Madagascar) opens sometime in 2014:

- Federal environmental permits also are needed. This always was seen as more complicated than the state version, but insiders seem less worried than earlier in the year. The public comments period to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ended Friday, and it’s not clear what would stop this permit from going ahead now.

- Triple Five needs to close its deal on a $2 billion financing package. The appropriate mega-lenders have been wooed, but it’s been nearly a year and still nothing has been announced. Some familiar with this project find that odd, and a bit worrisome for supporters. But no one seems to think it’s dead in the water.

- The Giants and Jets have sued to prevent the indoor water and amusement parks from being open on game days. Still no settlement, with a court date looming soon. Whatever the merits of Triple Five’s argument, they might have made it easier on themselves if they had shown the teams more deference six months ago. It sure wouldn’t have hurt.

I guess if you pay even more people off you can get your project advanced....what a joke this state is..

NEWS 12 New Jersey

Gov. Christie points fingers at Giants, Jets over jobs

http://www.news12.com/articleDetail....news_type=news

Quote:

(09/19/12) SOUTH AMBOY - Gov. Chris Christie (R-New Jersey) is putting some of the blame on Jets and Giants ownership for keeping people in New Jersey out of work.

In a town hall meeting in South Amboy today, Gov. Christie pointed to the team's pending lawsuits against the state over construction of the American Dream project at the Meadowlands.

The project is expected to create up to 9,000 new construction jobs and 5,000 permanent jobs.

The teams, however, are suing the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority for agreeing to expand the Meadowlands without the team's approval.

Construction on the site is pending because of the lawsuit.

Project is a total disaster. And this uncompleted mess with be in view of the entire world for next years Super Bowl. Still can't believe this project even got the go ahead in the first place. Like we need another mall in Jersey. Plus like users said, traffic is a mess already. The Revel Casino looks good in comparison to this nightmare. By a miracle if they ever do complete this, who will go? I live in Union County. I'm not blowing 6 bucks in tolls just to go here when I have 3 big malls right down the road that don't cost me a thing.

^ Well, this is far more than just a mall.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renton (Post 6037314)

Like we need another mall in Jersey. Plus like users said, traffic is a mess already.

This project isn't a mall. It has nothing to do with competition from malls. It's basically an indoor amusement park complex.

And I don't get the "traffic is a mess already" argument. This means NJ should stop developing anything, because there's traffic? Traffic is a sign of prosperity.

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Originally Posted by Crawford (Post 6037774)

NJ should develop more public transit, i.e, rail, which will mean that such large developments are less likely to face opposition due to traffic arguments. The Governor seems like an short sighted man who is anti-rail or something. Pity you'll have him for another 4 years. Perhaps if this is a real hit, there will be no choice but to look at expanding rail there in the future.

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Originally Posted by aquablue (Post 6038079)

I agree with all this, but the site already has direct rail from Manhattan. They built a new rail line to the Meadowlands a few years ago.

I mean, that's a big reason why this was built in the first place. They're trying to attract tourists who otherwise stay mostly in Manhattan.

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Originally Posted by Crawford (Post 6038088)

However, that rail link is not frequent. It needs to be electrified and have regular service.

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