Privacy pods were being operated at American Dream mall in the Meadowlands without the necessary permits and subsequently shut down pending those permits, state officials said.
The shutdown of the pods was first depicted on the social media website reddit with a photo showing one of the pods on the third floor of American Dream adjacent to the mall’s indoor ice-skating rink.
In the post, a large sticker can be seen on the entrance to the pod with the words “unsafe structure.”
Lisa Ryan, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, which does inspections of the mall, said that “inspectors noticed late last month that the pods were in use” without the proper permits, so the pods were temporarily shut down.
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Officially, the structures are known as “peace pods,” which offer “privacy on demand” in public spaces such as cities. A spokesperson for Peace, Inc., which owns the pods, did not respond to several emails seeking comment for this story.
A spokesperson for American Dream declined to comment.
It is not clear whether the mall or Peace were operating the pods, nor is it clear when the pods are set to reopen.
Daniel Munoz covers business, consumer affairs, labor and the economy for NorthJersey.com and The Record.
Email: munozd@northjersey.com; Twitter:@danielmunoz100 and Facebook
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ shuts down ‘privacy pods’ at American Dream mall
