UPDATE: American Dream cleared by state to open Friday morning

Less than 48 hours before the much-anticipated ribbon cutting for American Dream, the state has yet to issue a certificate of occupancy that would allow the long-delayed amusement and retail complex to open on Friday.

The state Department of Community Affairs (DCA) on Wednesday said it is still reviewing the permits of the sprawling entertainment venue and has not signed off on all the inspections.

“The American Dream facility does not have a certificate of occupancy at the present time,” DCA spokeswoman Lisa Ryan confirmed. “Inspection teams from DCA’s Division of Codes and Standards are at American Dream every day conducting inspections to make sure it is fully complying with all applicable fire, life safety, and building regulations required under the NJ Uniform Construction Code.”

Ryan said the division conducts inspections upon receiving requests from the American Dream developer, adding that the division was up to date on all permit applications it has received, and “continues to work with the developer to schedule and perform inspections as quickly as possible.”

The facility needs a certificate of occupancy to open. DCA officials would not say whether the lack of approval would affect Friday’s planned opening, but an administration official late Wednesday said only “that’s the plan.”

A spokeswoman for American Dream did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tickets for opening weekend are already sold out.

The 3 million-square-foot shopping, dining and amusement park complex alongside the New Jersey Turnpike in East Rutherford is set to open in stages, according to developer Triple Five, which also owns Mall of America.

Nickelodeon Universe, an indoor theme park, is scheduled to open its doors on Friday.

Next month, the DreamWorks Waterpark is expected to welcome its first visitors, followed by the signature indoor ski and snowboard park on Dec. 5. Officials said the shops and restaurants will not open until March.

Last minute permitting issues on major construction projects such as American Dream have been seen before.

The Prudential Center arena in Newark operated under a temporary certificate of occupancy when the building first opened in October 2007, which had to be renewed at regular intervals. But because of questions over the facility’s smoke evacuation system, the arena was required to pay firefighters to stand at stairwells during events for months.

In 2012, the opening of the Steel Pier in Atlantic City had to be delayed several days because the necessary paperwork allowing the operation of six of the eight new attractions had not been completed by the state. And in 2014, the opening of the Six Flags ride Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom was delayed because its permit was held up for review by the state Department of Community Affairs’ Carnival-Amusement Ride Safety Unit.

Delays have been a hallmark of the American Dream project, which has taken more than a decade to build.

Construction on what was then known as Xanadu began in March 2005. The $1.2 billion, 2.6 million-square-foot plan by Mills Corp. and Mack-Cali included an indoor Alpine ski resort, an indoor mini Formula One style raceway, a minor league baseball stadium, an extreme sports park, a movie palace and a small-format live entertainment venue.

The target opening date was 2007.

A year later, Mills and Mack-Cali ran into money problems and Colony Capital took over the project. But in 2009, the project lost its financing when an affiliate of bankrupt Lehman Brothers stopped providing promised construction funds, and the bankers on the project assumed control in 2010.

Triple Five inherited the overall concept when it took over the project later that year, adding the water and amusement parks. But work did not resume at the site until 2015, after a six-year stoppage. And the issues over financing led to another delay in construction in December 2016.

See more of our ongoing coverage of the upcoming American Dream mega-mall here.

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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