Not too long ago, malls were evolving formats to stay relevant and inspire a sense of community and excitement through experience. One of the truest examples was American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey, a 3 million-square-foot mall-meets-amusement park which had been slated to open March 19th. Now, rather the planned mix of 55 percent entertainment-related tenants and 45 percent retailers, the project will be roughly 70 percent entertainment and 30 percent retail as reported by Business Insider, making it much more amusement park than mall. The evolution begs the question, will people have the same appetite for mall environments that they once did?
