In East Orange there exists a haven for local artists and entrepreneurs known as Manufacturers Village. The property is comprised of several brick and masonry buildings with a combined area of 104,459-square-feet and is spread out across four acres. And it is now listed for sale, according to a Thursday announcement from Sheldon Gross Realty.
During the past two decades thousands of visitors tour studio spaces to watch artists at work and view completed pieces. In 2021, responding to the George Floyd murder, a group of artists – with the property owner’s support – painted a 9,000-square foot “Black Lives Matter” mural in the Manufacturers Village parking lot. The project was covered by network affiliate news programs, as well as by News 12 New Jersey and NJ.com.
Fully leased and segmented into 40 studios of various sizes, the property is home to painters, sculptors, photographers, woodworkers, designers, and various small businesses.
“Some types of properties are rather difficult to find, but Manufacturers Village is beyond even that – it’s absolutely one-of-a-kind,” Marcy Gross, president of Sheldon Gross Realty, which manages the site stated. “Featuring 140 years of history, it now hosts a remarkable level of talent and vision. When you walk through the buildings, the sheer creative energy feels striking.”
Constructed during the 1880s as the original headquarters for the company that would eventually become Johnson & Johnson, the Glenwood Avenue property was designated as Manufactures Village during the early 1900s. It was then the location began serving as operational space for multiple small businesses.
The Village is strategically located to serve the entire Tri-State Area. It is 30 minutes from Manhattan and within short distance to most of New Jersey’s major highways. It lies directly adjacent to the populous neighboring communities of Essex County: Bloomfield, West Orange, Livingston, Montclair, Maplewood, Millburn and Short Hills.
Offers are being accepted through Oct. 1, 2022.
