It was March 16 — just three days ahead of the grand opening of dozens of retail stores at the American Dream megamall in New Jersey — when the 3-million-square-foot complex shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Ongoing construction was halted. Attractions, like a Nickelodeon Theme Park that opened in the fall and an indoor ski slope that opened during the winter, were closed. And a VIP event to celebrate the debut of the DreamWorks Animation Water Park was called off. Triple Five Group, the property’s owner, hoped it would be a short delay — just another in a series of setbacks the project has seen over its nearly two-decade-long history.
