The complete opening of the American Dream complex has been plagued by over 20 years of planning, evolving, and construction. Now, with the coronavirus outbreak further derailing the opening process, at least part of the massive 3 million-square-foot complex is housing a local testing center for people to get tested for the virus.
American Dream partnered with Hackensack Meridian Health and Agile Urgent Care to create a drive-thru testing site meant primarily for local police, first responders, and frontline health care workers, the complex announced in a Monday press release.
"This testing site is part of a screening initiative, led by the New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association, mainly intended to support the local police, first responders, and frontline health care workers," read the press release, which also stated that community members that meet testing criteria can also schedule visits for the site. Testing at the center began on Monday and there is currently no set end date.
The American Dream megamall began its staggered opening process in October with the unveiling of the Nickelodeon Universe theme park and an ice-skating rink.
The retail portion of the mall was slated to open in March 2020. Initially, retail shops were set to make up about 45% of the mall's tenants. In an April interview with CNBC, the mall's developer, Triple Five Group, said that number had shifted closer to 30%, with the remaining portions allotted to entertainment-related tenants.
In January, an American Dream representative told Business Insider that 90% of the megamall had been leased, though only 31 of the 350 stores had been announced.
As one of the largest malls in the US, the project had a drawn-out and often delayed evolution. American was first envisioned in 1996, was originally called Xanadu, and run a completely different development team.
