Big Snow at American Dream to open

The beleaguered American Dream mall and entertainment complex finally has a little good news to announce: the indoor ski and snowboarding portion of the mall has announced it will open on September 1st.

Governor Murphy announced this week that indoor amusements would be allowed to open then. There was no word on when the rest of the complex will open; that would include the water park, retail stores, restaurants, ice rink, and Nickelodeon Universe. The $5 billion mega-complex has been under development for almost 20 years and was just starting to open some attractions when the pandemic shut everything down.

According to an Instagram post by Big Snow: “Endless winter will resume at Big SNOW starting next Tuesday, September 1st and while we were happy to do our part to help flatten the curve, we can’t wait to get back to sliding on snow with all of you.”

They will be taking steps to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. According to their website, advance reservations will be required with a limited number of customers allowed in at one time to maintain social distancing. Face coverings will also be required.

Most of the mall wasn’t ready to open when the restrictions were imposed. As reported on NorthJersey.com, “According to the recent status report, American Dream’s developer reported on July twenty-second that construction had started on a total of one hundred forty-six6 tenant spaces. Of those, thirty-eight8 are completed with a temporary certificate of occupancy or certificate of occupancy in hand. Another thirty-one are in the inspection process and another seventy-seven7 are under construction.” For more info on the opening of the attraction and the safety protocols, click here.

When fully open, the complex is supposed to have 350 stores and 100 dining options along with the amusement park attractions.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle. Any opinions expressed are Bill Doyle's own.