American Dream megamall flouts 17th century NJ blue laws — and officials aren’t happy
New Jersey’s American Dream megamall is flouting centuries-old Bergen “blue laws,” which demand most retailers close on Sundays — and its becoming a nightmare for local officials.
The 3 million-square-foot behemoth on the banks of the swampy Hackensack River in East Rutherford has been open on Sundays for at least a year, according to The Record newspaper.
This means the mammoth retail and entertainment complex — which first opened in 2019 and features stores, restaurants, rides, waterslides and even a 300-foot Ferris wheel — isn’t following the same rules that govern every other business in Bergen County.
And area officials are crying foul.
“American Dream’s disregard of the state statute is deeply concerning, and its violation gives American Dream Mall tenants an unfair advantage over all other Bergen County businesses lawfully complying with state law,” a Bergen County spokesman told The Post in a Monday email.
Dating back to the 17th century, the continually controversial Bergen blue laws ban the Sunday sale of non-essential items such as furniture, appliances, clothing and cars, The Record said.
Although many retailers chafe under the archaic regulations, advocates prefer them because they clear traffic from Bergen’s often-packed streets and highways.
Don Ghermezian, CEO of American Dream’s parent company, Triple 5, said in a statement to The Post that he was “ecstatic that our extensive list of offerings operates on Sundays, allowing everyone to enjoy the very best of American Dream whenever they want.”
County officials tried in May to convince the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority — which owns the land that houses American Dream, MetLife Stadium and other Meadowlands developments — to enforce the blue laws, according to a letter obtained by The Post.
“The law clearly prohibits the sale of many products sold by these establishments on Sundays,” read the letter from Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco.
But an attorney wrote back that the authority doesn’t have the power to do that because it’s not a police or law enforcement agency.
A source with knowledge of the situation contends that blue laws haven’t applied to land owned by the Sports and Exposition Authority for decades — that’s New York Giants fans can buy a jersey at MetLife during a Sunday football game.
County officials have reached out to the state’s attorney general for guidance, but have not heard back.
Triple 5, a Canadian company, owns other massive retail establishments across North America, including the Mall of America in Minnesota and the West Edmonton Mall in Canada.
