'The tower is an eyesore.' Demolition of former Nabisco factory tower set to begin after 1-year delay
Demolition of the tower along Route 208 is restarting since the property owner gained approval from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
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Officials have released an update on the status of the abandoned Nabisco factory in Fair Lawn.
Demolition of the tower along Route 208 is restarting since the property owner gained approval from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, according to Fair Lawn Mayor Gail Rottenstrich.
“I’m happy to see the work go forward. The tower is an eyesore,” Rottenstrich says. “I don’t see it as a holdup, I see it as a process. This is a big project and every step of a big project like this takes time.”
Those who live in Fair Lawn and Glen Rock have had questions ever since the scheduled implosion of the site was called off one year ago. A portion of the main tower of the Nabisco plant is now covered in scaffolding, with black netting being secured by construction workers.
The building has already been gutted. It's been like that since last year’s April 15, 2023 implosion was canceled.
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One of the neighbors pushing against that implosion was Denise Colaitis, whose home is beneath the tower.
“I think we’d just like to know when it’s happening, what is happening and what to expect,” Colaitis says.
She’s pleased to see work back on. The property owner, Greek Real Estate Partners, has agreed to take it down piece by piece.
Colaitis had pushed to stop the implosion for fear of asbestos getting into her home. Looking back she is glad it never happened.
“To me, the whole idea of an implosion was very frightening. Not to mention what could’ve happened to our homes but what could’ve been disseminated into the air,” Colaitis says.
The abandoned tower apparently hasn’t had much of an impact on home sales within Iris Park.
Charyn Ritvo just purchased one of the townhomes.
“I was worried about it I didn’t have much information so I didn’t know what to expect,” Ritvo says.
RELATED: Officials cancel implosion of Nabisco tower in Fair Lawn
RELATED: Concerns remain over planned implosion of Nabisco factory in Fair Lawn
But she still pulled the trigger on the sale, having gained confidence in the fact that the implosion was called off. The listing agent says Ritvo was one of 10 bidders.
The Nabisco factory encompasses 39 acres. It opened in 1958, filling the neighborhoods with the aroma of freshly baked Oreos and crackers.
The company has moved on and the new property owner plans to build a warehouse development, one that has been approved by Fair Lawn.
