• Jets, Giants want American Dream Meadowlands project stopped

    by
    Austin
    Published on 06-26-2012 08:31 PM
    2 Comments Comments
    Officials with the NFL teams, New York Jets and the New York Giants have filed an injuction on June 22nd to block construction from resuming on the American Dream Meadowlands project being built in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The teams, which share the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, cited traffic impact on their game days from the project in their injuction on the currently unapproved water and amusement park.

    East Rutherford Mayor James Cassella was quick to comment on the matter calling the teams "greedy" and "selfish" for putting their interests ahead of the taxpayers. "These are many of the same people who pay thousands of dollars to buy Personal Seat Licenses (PSLs) for Giants and Jets, just to have the chance to see a game. These are the same people who buy Giants and Jets paraphernalia, and the two teams want to deny them the right to earn a living" Cassella said.

    The County Executive Kathleen Donovan also commented saying that she will be reviewing all tax breaks given to the teams and that they were in effect attempting to create a monopoly over the building of themed dining and entertainment in the city. "The Giants and the Jets have $1.6 billion invested in this stadium," said John K. Mara, president of the New York Giants, "and we can’t afford to make it more difficult for our fans to get in and out of here on game days."

    Construction stopped three years ago after more than $1.9 billion had been spent on the project. In 2010 N.J. Governor Chris Christie and the park developer Triple Five announced plans for a new design that would expand the mall and the parks to 7.5 million square feet.
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    Comments 2 Comments
    1. Leo C - 06-27-2012, 01:08 AM
      The big ugly mall with the indoor ski slope is already there. So what if they want to add another third to the mall. That would be the bow tie this new developer could bring. The Palisades Mall near the Tappan Zee Bridge in NY is a big 4 story tease because it has an indoor ferris wheel and carousel but not a full amusement park. I would like an East Coast version of the Mall of the America with the amusement park. The old Izod Center,former home of the Devils and Nets, is still there next to the mall. The Meadowlands horse track is on the other side of Met Life Stadium. The goal was to have this incomplete giant mall complete for the 2014 Super Bowl in New Jersey.

      I wish these teams never got the new stadium and moved back to New York. These teams financed it themselves though.

      I was at the Meadowlands Fair last week. It was the first time I ever stopped at the whole complex. This is basically the panorama of the scene at the Meadowlands. First pic would be the horse track, then Met Life Stadium. The mall formerly known as Xanadu, covered in checkers, is this American Dreams site all the way to the right. That covered ramp is the indoor ski slope.
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      The ugly giant mall which hasn't opened yet would be repainted after it's expanded.
    1. rjholla2003 - 07-01-2012, 12:46 PM
      These teams can shut up until they decide to represent the state they play in. I don't care about their opinion on a project that started forever ago and has been delayed for a long time. "New York" teams can stay out of the way of New Jersey business.