Will The American Dream Mall Reinvent Retail or Prove It’s Dead?

There’s not a lot of places in the worlds where you can find skiing, a waterpark, and new Sketchers under one roof. If this combination excites you, you’re probably familiar with the American Dream mall in New Jersey. While there’s certainly a lot to do inside this mall, its early life has been marred with complications and setbacks.

In a world where e-commerce is replacing brick and mortar stores, the American Dream seeks to reinvent the idea of a shopping mall. The aptly named complex was designed with the idea that malls could offer more than retail experiences. Eventually, this project would end up in the hands of the Triple Five Group, the same company known for operating the Mall of America. While ambitious, the project ended up following a blueprint that has already established a footprint on the American retail landscape.

The idea was born over 20 years ago, spent over fifteen years in construction, and dealt with a pandemic in its first few months of operation. In fact, it has never even been fully opened because only some sections were ready for business in 2019. The American Dream Mall seems to be caught in a series of disasters and was dated the day it opened. Perhaps most damning of all, the building was called ugly by Chris Christie.

With the world opening up and people itching to get out of their houses, is the American Dream the answer? The public has never been able to experience the full Dream, but everything they’ve built over the…