The loan was used to help fund the complex’s 100,000-square-foot sports dome, which operators claim has been hampered by unfair state regulations that have limited its profit potential.
The suit accuses Adventure Golf and Entertainment LLC. and Cardinale and Jackson Crossing Associates of failing to make several payments due on the loan that was provided on Sept. 28, 2022.
Since construction began seven years ago, the project has faced township opposition to hundreds of proposed housing units on land adjacent to the complex.
JACKSON – Developers of Adventure Crossing USA, the partially-built sports and entertainment complex, are accused of defaulting on a $14.4 million loan from a Delaware-based bank, according to a new lawsuit.
The loan was used to help fund the complex’s 100,000-square-foot sports dome, which operators claim has been hampered by unfair state regulations limiting its profit potential and making it difficult to pay back the funds.
“We were paying up until the state made it impossible for us to make the payments,” said Vito Cardinale, chief developer and landlord of the location.
He claims that the state Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) began to impose tighter regulations and requirements on the dome in mid-2024, 18 months after the dome opened.
Among those, he claims, is a DCA stipulation that several paid fire officials must be present when a customer uses the dome’s golf simulator.
“They are trying to place restrictions on this dome that are done for no other domes in the state,” he said.
Cardinale did not specify which other restrictions were problematic and calls seeking comment from the DCA were not returned.
Debts at the Dome?
The lawsuit, filed Dec. 5 in Ocean County Superior Court by Wilmington Savings Fund Society, names as defendants two entities headed by Cardinale, who first broke ground on the complex in 2018.
The suit accuses Adventure Golf and Entertainment LLC. and Cardinale and Jackson Crossing Associates of failing to make several payments due on the loan that was provided on Sept. 28, 2022.
It claims that the developers have failed to make monthly payments since May 1, 2024.
The bank seeks foreclosure of the mortgage unless the full amount, now claimed to be $14.8 million with interest and penalties, is paid, and transfer of the property to the plaintiffs under current foreclosure law.
Attorneys for Wilmington Savings Fund Society did not respond to requests for comment.
Ryan Murphy, an attorney representing Cardinale, confirmed in a statement issued Tuesday that the sports dome, a mainstay of the project, has faced financial problems.
“It is the unfortunate truth that The Dome at Adventure Crossing has initially faced financial difficulties; however, those difficulties are far from insurmountable,” he said via email. “We continue to work with our financial partners to solve the financing of the Dome and expect our negotiations to be successful. We would note that The Dome, though the current centerpiece, is only one component of Adventure Crossing USA.”
The legal action is the latest setback for the 300-acre complex located along Monmouth Road just south of I-195.
Since construction began seven years ago, the project has faced township opposition to hundreds of proposed housing units on land adjacent to the complex that currently houses the sports dome, eight playing fields, and related retail spots.
When it launched, Adventure Crossing was billed as a “sports and entertainment” destination, with a sports dome and new athletic fields expected to make the site a destination for statewide, regional and national youth sports tournaments.
The long-range plan envisioned entire families staying at nearby hotels on site and visiting restaurants and entertainment options in their free time, such as an indoor golf driving range or a proposed bowling alley.
But so far, only the retail outlets, such as a Taco Bell, Starbucks, Carvel, and Panda Express are operating, along with the sports dome, which most recently hosted a punk rock flea market and has a mix of events scheduled for the coming months.
Eight ballfields are also in use and have hosted events that include softball and baseball tournaments, according to Allan Proske, who leases the fields from Cardinale and operates them under Adventure Sports.
Crossing developers say they’re not gone yet
Murphy said in his statement that Adventure Crossing was far from bankrupt, noting and plans for a new hotel were moving ahead.
“Adventure Crossing USA, as a project, is not in jeopardy of failure and its viability continues along the pathway expected by ownership, especially given the consistent headwinds that have in force,” the statement said, later adding, “we recently obtained township approval for an 182-room Hilton hotel that will serve Adventure Crossing USA and our neighbor, Six Flags Great Adventure.”
He said the hotel is expected to open in 2027 and plans remain in the works for up to 450 townhouse units: “Negotiations with a publicly-traded developer are being finalized so that their development may move forward.”
Cardinale had sought to build as many as 1,200 housing units and filed suit against the township in February 2025 seeking to nullify an ordinance that significantly reduced the number of housing units he would be permitted to build on the property.
That case remains in litigation, according to court records.
Cardinale argues in the suit that the ordinance singled out his project. And while his plans were submitted six weeks after that ordinance was introduced, his application to reshuffle the project was deemed