MEADOWLANDS — Triple Five, the developer of the American Dream Meadowlands project on Route 3, moved in Superior Court Tuesday to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the New York Giants and New York Jets.
The professional sports teams sought an injunction last month to prevent the developer from reviving the project. The lawsuit filed in a state court in Bergen County alleges that Triple Five did not receive their consent to expand the project and also cites traffic impacts.
“The litigation is a transparent attempt to circumvent an ongoing, state mandated, legislatively promulgated administrative review process” said Triple Five spokesman Alan Marcus.
The American Dream project, previously known as Xanadu, includes a mega mall, entertainment center, and indoor ski park. It has stalled several times due to lack of financial backing since 2009. Canada-based developer Triple Five Group stepped in at the end of 2010 and proposed an expansion of the project to include indoor amusement and water parks.
The New York teams speculate that American Dream may have some undefined future adverse impact on them. The teams defended their lawsuit in a statement, “Just as Triple Five left us with no choice but to file suit to protect our rights and our fans, they now leave us with no choice but to defend against this meritless motion to dismiss. We are disappointed with their continued refusal to work with the teams and New Jersey state officials to reach a compromise to avoid the traffic and safety issues that would come from adding thousands of additional cars on game days.”