Implosion of Nabisco factory in Fair Lawn delayed for cleanup of dangerous contaminants
FAIR LAWN, New Jersey (WABC) -- The implosion of a Nabisco factory in Fair Lawn, New Jersey is being delayed to allow for the cleanup of dangerous contaminants, according to the mayor of Hawthorne.
The one-time home of Nabisco, where the smell of cookies filled the air is now mostly a pile of rubble. The only thing left standing is the main building which is the tallest structure in the area.
It was set to be imploded on April 15, but that was delayed after complaints were raised about asbestos and other contaminants.
"Greek Development has decided to postpone the implosion of the Nabisco Tower due to delays in ongoing efforts with local and state agencies to fulfill all regulatory requirements and make all necessary pre-implosion arrangements," Greek Development managing partner David Greek said in statement. "A new date for this demolition activity has not yet been set. Ownership's priority is to ensure the safety of its workers and the surrounding community and will continue transparency with the public as it works to revise the proposed schedule."
"Now we're being told that the implosion is being put on hold because there's still asbestos in the building, which we were sure there wasn't," Glen Rock resident Jack Carvainis said.
The location is going to be redeveloped for commercial use. It is a project that has caused tension between a few New Jersey towns.
"We asked to make sure that we know ahead of time what's going to happen," Glen Rock resident Liz Mulholland said.
"Our focus is safety and soundness, but what we obviously don't want is anything to happen here before all the boxes are checked," said John Mulholland, President of the Iris Park Homeowners Association.
The Nabisco factory is in Fair Lawn, but the community that will be most impacted is in Glen Rock. The residents say they are not getting enough information about what's taking place now or what will be put there in the future.
"What concerns us is what is going to go there, and apparently we're being told it's going to be a huge warehouse," Glen Rock resident Keith Hansen said. "And how high is it going to be? It's going to have 100 doors."
"We're just hoping they can do it as safe as possible, just given the proximity to people in the area and schools here within Glen Rock," Glen Rock resident Kristy Dasilva said.
Residents of the Iris Park and Indian Rock communities are meeting Wednesday night to discuss the implosion and their future, which Fair Lawn will decide once the Nabisco building is gone.
"What we're heard from the development at this point is the building is not going to come down, and they're not going to set a date until they get approval from the state, and they will wait two weeks out and then the building will come down," Fair Lawn Mayor Kurt Peluso said.
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