This past week, the Fair Lawn planning board approved site plans from Greek Development for a proposed 644,000-square-foot warehouse to take the place of the old Nabisco factory on Route 208. The plant closed in 2021 and the fate of the building has been unsettled, until now.
The news is promising for the amount of construction jobs the project will bring to the area. Two years ago, when Mondelez announced it was closing the Nabisco plant, 600 people lost employment.
Union representatives for construction workers pledged support of the development, saying it would bring back jobs.
“During the course of the project, it’s gonna probably put at least 300 construction workers to work,” Enzo Scordo with Bergen County Building Trades said at the meeting.
Another point that had been contentious with Fair Lawn residents was what the potential health impact would be from a planned implosion and the contaminants related to it. The implosion was scrapped, and Greek said it would ensure the well-being and peace of mind of the surrounding residents.
“We will utilize an alternative method of demolition that does not include the use of any explosives. Ownership is proceeding to undertake the additional time and expense to ensure the well-being and peace of mind of the surrounding residents,” Greek said in a May statement.
As part of its approval this past week, the board placed a list of conditions on the project, with some being a reduction in the number of trailer spaces, including a 100% solar power-ready roof, charging stations and requiring an island of trees in the northern parking lot.
