Paramus Takes Legal Action Against American Dream Mall Over Sunday Operations

Paramus officials have sued American Dream mall for opening stores on Sundays, escalating the battle over Bergen County’s blue laws. The issue is over whether the enormous East Rutherford retail and entertainment complex should be spared from the county’s decades-old Sunday shopping restrictions.

Paramus, home to some of the state’s busiest shopping centers, has long enforced Bergen County’s blue laws, which ban Sunday sales of non-essential products including furniture, apparel, and appliances. Voters have upheld the 17th-century restrictions to relieve people of traffic and commercial congestion. Groceries, pharmacies, and critical services are exempt, but retail giants must conform.

Paramus sued Ameream, Bergen County, East Rutherford, and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which controls the mall’s site, in Bergen County court. Town authorities want the court to enforce compliance, halt Sunday business, and declare the mall a “public nuisance.” They also want fines that may cost American Dream hundreds of dollars each infringement, though the total is unknown.

American Dream was accused of allowing more than 100 retailers to open on Sundays and openly promoting Sunday shopping on a big billboard outside the property earlier this year. Paramus officials were furious, as they had threatened legal action if the mall violated county standards.

American Dream claims it is free from Bergen County’s blue laws since it is on state territory. Mall officials have contrasted the scenario to Sunday football games at MetLife Stadium, next to the complex, where spectators may buy items. American Dream called the lawsuit “meritless” and said it was politically motivated by outside competitors. It was confident the courts would decide in its favor.

American Dream has claimed for years that it will respect Bergen County’s rules, but local officials say otherwise. Bergen County and East Rutherford politicians have opposed the mall’s Sunday operations, but neither has filed a lawsuit. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority has similarly been silent, leaving it to the courts to decide if county regulations apply to state-owned land.

The lawsuit shows North Jersey’s perennial conflict between tradition and business. Paramus filed the lawsuit to preserve community standards and curb Sunday traffic. For American Dream, the ruling might affect its retail operations and test its ability to avoid county-level constraints as a state land renter.

With the dispute in court, one of New Jersey’s most ambitious retail developments may have to scale back operations to comply with centuries-old Bergen County statutes. Until then, both parties are preparing for a judicial battle over economic development and local heritage.

Sources:
NorthJersey.com
Bergen County Court Records
New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority