Triple Five: Starting with Super Bowl, American Dream will be ‘major tourism destination’

As American Dream Meadowlands, the project formerly known as Xanadu will not only be one of the largest entertainment and retail complexes in North America, but also a major tourism destination, its new redeveloper announced Tuesday.
 

Gov. Chris Christie unveils a rendering of the exterior of American Dream Meadowlands with, from left, Jon F. Hanson and Nader Ghermezian. (Christina Mazza)

“This will be a tourism project in a major way,” said Nader Ghermezian, chairman of Triple Five at a press conference at the project site Tuesday morning. Half of the visitors to American Dream will be tourists, internationally and nationally, he said.
Ghermezian said the company is working on tourism packages to bring visitors to the complex, and is also talking with airlines about allowing passengers at Newark Liberty International Airport to shop at American Dream during long layovers. People will also be able to purchase tickets for flights at Newark airport at the complex, he added. These types of arrangements are already in place at Triple Five’s Mall of America in Minnesota, he said.
“This project will move forward now and be finished,” said Gov. Chris Christie, also speaking at the press conference. He said there will be a firm timeline for completing the project, by fall 2013. “When people come to the Super Bowl in 2014, they’ll be spending a lot of time here,” he said. “This will be an important part of the Super Bowl experience.”
American Dream will create about 9,000 construction jobs and 35,000 permanents jobs, said Christie.
Tuesday’s press conference signaled the advancement of a project…