Recruitment Begins For American Dream Meadowlands Workforce
BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — American Dream Meadowlands has already begun recruiting for positions at its $5 billion retail and entertainment destination.
Representatives from American Dream spoke with veterans at a networking event in New York City earlier this week.
Lincoln Palsgrove, an American Dream spokesperson, stressed they are looking to hire local residents "across a broad spectrum for dynamic folks," especially people who are multilingual, as American Dream is pushing to attract some of the 62 million tourists who visit New York City annually.
A reception team will be fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, French, Russian, Portuguese, Arabic, and other languages. Shuttles will take people to and from airports and New York City.
American Dream Meadowlands is expected to generate on-site 16,000 jobs and $1.2 billion in income when it opens in the spring. Another 6,200 area jobs are expected to be created after it opens.
Some of those jobs could come from retail centers and area malls that could expand as a result of American Dream opening and the 30 to 40 million visitors forecast to visit within its first year of opening.
Jim Kirkos, CEO of the Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce said the economic effect those visitors could have on the local economy "is a game changer."
"All of those people have the chance to go to American Dream. That visitor experience of coming here, if there isn't a lot to do in the area, they'll spend all of their disposable income dollars in New York City," Kirkos previously said. "Now, American Dream helps keep those disposable income dollars here." (See related: 30 Million People Could Visit American Dream In Its First Year)
Developer Triple Five's $5 billion project has already generated 23,000 construction jobs. Those workers have already completed $2 billion in construction.
American Dream is shaping up to be a one-of-a-kind, $5 billion destination with several "firsts" coming to New Jersey and the East Coast, including:
The world's first MUNCHIES food hall by Vice. The 38,000 square-foot hall will have 18 vendors and "will be a platform for creative and diverse culinary talent," Vice co-founder John Martin said.
The first Sea Life Aquarium in New Jersey with a walk-through, saltwater tunnel
The first indoor ski and snowboard park in the Western Hemisphere with an 800-foot high ski slope and an ice-climbing wall.
The first KidZania on the East Coast where kids can go to "work" and earn money they can then spend
Two world-record rollercoasters are coming to the Nickelodeon Universe theme park.
More than a dozen retailers have been confirmed and hundreds more are expected to come on board.
There will also be:
A movie theater that will allow people to smell scents and experience movement related to the movie they are watching.
A huge LEGOLAND Discovery Center with a 4-D cinema, LEGO brick pool, rides, and classes for kids will be there.
An observation wheel that's nearly as tall as the Statue of Liberty. It will have 26 climate-controlled gondolas and will take about 25 minutes to make one revolution.
An NHL regulation-sized ice skating rink will have recreational hockey and figure skating programs. The New York Rangers and Islanders and New Jersey Devils will be there as well.
20,000 square feet of health, wellness, beauty, and spa facilities
An 800-room luxury hotel connected to convention space and restaurants
American Dream was originally slated to open in 2017. Then last summer Triple Five pushed back the completion date because it had difficulty securing the $1.1 billion in financing. It worked with Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan to secure $1.6 billion in financing in 2017.
Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com
Photo: An artists' rendering of what American Dream Meadowlands will look like when complete. (Courtesy of Triple Five)
