P3 Properties plans to rebrand the 21-story, 427-room hotel at 2 Meadowlands Plaza as World of Blue while investing in a $100 million update of the property. — Renderings by ICO Designs / Courtesy: P3
By Joshua Burd
A developer’s full-scale update of a landmark hotel in East Rutherford is quickly moving ahead with just months to go until MetLife Stadium welcomes the FIFA Men’s World Cup.
The firm, P3 Properties, said this week that the $100 million renovation is proceeding rapidly after it acquired the Route 3 property earlier this month and said it would rebrand the 21-story, 427-room facility as World of Blue. It’s also engaging the region’s business and hospitality industry, supporting near-term public service and event needs with plans to host guests and groups through the end of April and again starting in June, noting that it has reserved May for construction projects that may temporarily interrupt certain operations.
Still, the ownership team has emphasized flexibility and noted that, if additional hospitality needs arise during construction, the hotel will work to accommodate them wherever possible.
“Major international moments like the World Cup accelerate local investment decisions — and this project reflects that,” said Harvey Rosenblatt, CEO of P3 Properties. “We’re building something designed to last well beyond a single event, but there’s no doubt that the World Cup created urgency and clarity around what the Meadowlands can become, and what East Rutherford deserves.”
RENDERINGS: World of Blue
Located at 2 Meadowlands Plaza, the former Sheraton and Hilton property is a familiar sight to drivers on Route 3 and visitors to the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Rosenblatt and his firm, the team behind the MCC Blue office campus in Parsippany, now aim to reposition the site into an distinctive, non-flag hotel destination designed to support year-round demand driven by major events, corporate travel and the evolving Meadowlands tourism economy.
P3’s plans also call for activating the hotel’s expansive property as hospitality and public performance spaces, along with complementary development such as major infrastructure upgrades and future residential development on the current parking lot. All of which will leverage what the firm described as a brand ecosystem that supports independent hospitality programming without traditional franchise structures, helping to elevate the Meadowlands experience during major global events throughout the year.
“We are surrounded by blue from the dramatic views of the Hudson River to the vast tidal waterways to the incredible skyline — this region’s blueness is perhaps its most uncredited feature,” Rosenblatt said. “World of Blue will celebrate a connection not only to the Meadowlands Sports Complex and the robust activity in the greater region, but a state of mind that is generated by the natural surroundings.”
The redevelopment team and its partners emphasized that regional success will depend on sustained cooperation among local commerce, tourism and community leaders.
“The World Cup is a once-in-a-generation moment for the Meadowlands, but the real opportunity is what we build around it,” said Jim Kirkos, CEO and president of the Meadowlands Chamber. “Projects like this show what’s possible when the business community stays engaged — and we encourage more local partners to step forward, invest, and help shape the region’s future.”
P3 Properties buys landmark Meadowlands hotel, eyes rebrand with sweeping update
