Number of construction workers to double in home stretch of New Jersey mega-mall

UPDATE: Nov. 1, 2019: After 17 years of development, the approximately $5 billion American Dream Meadowlands megaproject has opened to the public as a mall, though construction has not wrapped up yet — with Northjersey.com reporting that there were seemingly more workers than visitors on site during opening weekend last week.

Dive Brief:

During a tour this week of the $5 billion American Dream Meadowlands project in East Rutherford, New Jersey, developer Triple Five told media and officials that the project was still on track for a spring opening and that they would double the number of construction workers on site to make it happen, according to the North Jersey Record.
There are currently 1,600 construction workers making progress at the mega-mall site every day, and the manpower increase Triple Five promised is scheduled for the fall when build-out starts on approximately 450 retail outlets and restaurants. Bergen County Building Trades President Rick Sabato said that the project had also spurred construction renovations and upgrades at nearby retail centers that will be competing with American Dream.
PCL Constructors is the general contractor on the project, where modular construction and BIM have figured prominently. The company converted the 6,700-ton steel support skeleton into 219 modular units built offsite, and BIM modeling allowed PCL to design, manufacture and assemble the units in a yard environment. One of the major subcontractors on the project is D'Annunzio & Sons, based in South Plainfield, New Jersey.

Dive Insight:

Florida contractors and local officials are no doubt watching the progress of the American Dream project in New Jersey since Triple Five is in the process of winning approval for a similar project in Miami. Cost estimates for the 6-million-square foot American Dream Miami are at about $4 billion. But not everyone in South Florida is on board with the plan.

The project received a zoning "thumbs up" from the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners back in June, but, earlier this month, the South Florida Regional Planning Council voted against it. The council's vote serves as a recommendation to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, which must give its approval in order for American Dream Miami to move forward. If the department rejects the plan as well, then it will provide instructions to Triple Five as to which parts of its proposal need revision. Two major points of opposition to the project were its potential environmental impact and the increase in traffic.

Both American Dream projects represent what could be a way to lure more customers into brick-and-mortar retail stores with an experience rather than just a place to shop.