Bittersweet: Nabisco factory to become warehouse

Greek Development files plans for 644K sf facility

Greek Development's David Greek with 500 NJ-208
Greek Development's David Greek with 500 NJ-208 (Greek Development, Google Maps)

The new products shipping out from the former Nabisco site in Fair Lawn won’t smell quite like the old ones.

Greek Development filed plans for a 644,000-square-foot warehouse at 500 Route 208 in Fair Lawn, where Nabisco used to crank out cookies, NorthJersey.com reported. The developer hopes to quickly gain approval from the borough and start construction on the Class-A distribution facility in the summer.

It will include 10,000 square feet of office space and 256 parking spaces. The developer doesn’t need any variances from the town. An expected completion date hasn’t been disclosed.

The warehouse is being built on spec, but finding tenants should not be too challenging as demand remains high for industrial space in New Jersey.

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For 63 years the site was home to a Nabisco cookie factory responsible for doling out Chips Ahoy, Oreos and Ritz crackers, among other popular brands. In July 2021, parent company Mondelēz International closed the factory, cutting 600 jobs in the process.

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Demolition has been underway for months. The town wanted to save the giant red “Nabisco” letters, but they fell apart when crews tried to salvage them.

Greek Development, which specializes in cold storage, distribution centers and manufacturing facilities, purchased the 40-acre site in October 2021 for $146.5 million. The assessed value of the property was $29.3 million when Mondelēz started taking bids for it.

Fair Lawn Mayor Kurt Peluso, who had feared the impact of such a large space becoming vacant, expressed excitement about Greek Development.

“We’re just happy that we had someone that’s eager to move in really quick,” Peluso told NorthJersey.com.

— Holden Walter-Warner