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Bergen County Court Rules Against American Dream Owners On PILOT Payments
Creative wordplay enabled the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, NJ to avoid making PILOT (payments in lieu of taxes) payments to neighboring towns since it technically opened in 2019.
The town of East Rutherford, where America Dream Mall is located, sued the megamall in 2023, claiming the mall wrongfully withheld PILOT payments. The PILOT agreement required payments to begin once the mall was “fully open.” Triple Five, the Canadian firm that developed the American Dream, interpreted this phrase to mean PILOT payments were not due until the mall was “fully occupied,” or 100 percent leased.
A Bergen County court judge ruled last week against the mall owners, rejecting the mall’s interpretation, and that payments should have begun once the mall opened its doors to the public. The mall opened in 2019, just before the COVID pandemic.
The court said the agreement was unambiguous.
Other surrounding communities including Carlstadt, Little Ferry, Lyndhurst, Rutherford, South Hackensack, Moonachie, North Bergen and Secaucus are also owed money. Total unpaid PILOT fees total $13 million.
Lincoln Equities Signs National Ramp For Rockland Distribution Center
National Ramp, a modular ramping provider for commercial and residential ramps, has signed a 109,450 square-foot long-term lease at the newly constructed Lincoln Equities warehouse at 625 Corporate Way in Valley Cottage.
National Ramp is relocating its facility from 709 Executive Boulevard to the Rockland Distribution Center, establishing its corporate headquarters at that location..
“This lease is indicative of the flight to quality and the strong demand that exists for modern, strategically located distribution spaces tailored to today’s logistics challenges,” said Lance Bergstein, Chief Executive Officer of LEG. “With state-of-the-art design and prime connectivity, LEG’s facilities continue to attract businesses looking to streamline operations and support long-term growth.”
The 220,000 square foot warehousing facility was built on spec, without a tenant secured, and sat vacant for almost two years. Clarkstown residents opposed the construction based on its size, location, and the potential for increased traffic, but the Clarkstown Planning Board greenlit the project after the developer agreed to extensive changes, traffic mitigation, and a donation of land to the town.
Lincoln Logistics Rockland’s warehouse has 36-foot clear heights, 34 dock doors, two drive-in doors, an office component, 123 vehicle and 41 trailer parking spots. The property can also include expansion options of up to 55 dock doors and 53 trailer parking spots. The remaining 110,550 square feet are available for lease.
Paul Adler Awarded Volunteer New York!’s 2025 Social Advocacy Award
Paul Adler, Esq., a lifelong Rockland County resident and community advocate, was named the 2025 Social Advocacy Award recipient in Volunteer New York!’s 45th Annual Volunteer Spirit Awards for his nearly 50 years of leadership and volunteerism with the NAACP Nyack Branch.
From leading voter engagement initiatives to fighting for fair education and policy reform, Adler has dedicated his time and expertise to ensuring underserved voices are heard and empowered.
Adler, along with seven others, will be honored during their 45th annual Volunteer Spirit Awards breakfast benefit sponsored by Regeneron.
“This year’s honorees exemplify the incredible power of volunteerism to create real, lasting change in our communities,” said Volunteer New York! Interim Executive Director, Suzanne Tillman. “Their dedication and selflessness remind us that service is not just an ideal — it’s actually doing what it takes to build a more connected, compassionate, and resilient world.”
Adler serves as the Chief Strategy Officer for Rand Commercial Realty. He also serves on the boards of many other Rockland County organizations, including Montefiore-Nyack Hospital
Other awards include:
- Education & Literacy Award: Kimberly Janeway for volunteer action with Family Service Society of Yonkers resented by the Seiden Family
- Quality of Life Award: Chivas Wakuta for volunteer action with One Sandwich at a Time presented by PCSB Community Foundation
- Resiliency Award: Najib Arsalan and Freshta Nazari for volunteer action with Open Arms for Refugees presented by WMCHealth
- Youth Leadership Award: Christian and Rowan Dias for volunteer action with Able Athletics, Inc. presented by PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP
NYS Comptroller Cites Financial Risks To Several Rockland Villages That Relied On Non-recurring ARPA Funds
Expiration of federal funds received by local governments during and after the pandemic will likely impact the financial health of local governments that used these funds to balance operating budgets, according to a recently released New York State Comptroller’s Office report.
Five Rockland County Villages were disproportionately dependent on ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding to balance their budgets, and will have to make up for these losses because the federal program has sunset.
The report listed villages in Rockland County (and elsewhere) whose 2021 ARPA funding exceeded their 2019 budgets by more than 10 percent.
In 2021, the Village of New Hempstead received 18.8 percent of its revenue; the Village of New Square received 15.2 percent of its revenue; the Village of Airmont received 12.6 percent of its revenue, the Village of Chestnut Ridge received 12.2 percent of its revenue; and the Village of Wesley Hills received 11 percent of its revenue from ARPA funds.
The temporary nature of the federal stimulus funds, as well as declining state aid that has not kept pace with inflation, sales tax growth that has returned to lower pre-pandemic levels, and flat property tax revenue growth, can put local governments closer to the edge of the “fiscal cliff” if not carefully managed, the report says.
The Comptroller uses the term “fiscal cliff” to mean a set of financial factors converging to create substantial budgetary shortfalls.
Local governments generally were given significant latitude in how federal stimulus funds could be used. For example, local governments could use ARPA funds to replace lost revenue, respond to public health and/or economic impacts due to the pandemic, provide premium pay for essential workers, invest in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure, provide emergency relief from natural disasters, or pay for eligible surface transportation projects.
