ELMWOOD PARK, NJ 01-30-2019 MARCAL PAPER PLANT FIRE : A huge inferno consumed the Marcal paper plant in Elmwood Park tonight, as firefighters battled high winds and frigid temperatures to try and save the plant. The iconic Marcal sign, a North Jersey landmark easily seen from I-80 and beyond, was destroyed shortly after this photo was taken. The factory appears to be in ruins, -photo by Thomas E. Franklin THOMAS E. FRANKLIN
Marcal Paper and a real estate developer said Tuesday they plan to build a multimillion dollar industrial building on the Bergen County site where the paper factory was destroyed in a massive fire three years ago.
The paper company and Crow Holdings Development announced plans to construct a 206,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art distribution facility on a portion of the Marcal property along Market Street in Elmwood Park. The site is located off Route 80, near Exit 61.
The construction phase of the project is expected to generate $34 million in revenue for the county and another $38 million for New Jersey, along with 140 temporary jobs, Crow said in a statement.
Following construction, operations at the new facility will result in an economic impact of about $28 million a year in the state, generate 240 full-time jobs, and result in about $630,000 in new property taxes to the borough, its school district and the county, the statements said.
The historic paper factory went up in flames about 5 p.m. on Jan. 30, 2019. Fueled by whipping winds, the plant quickly turned into an inferno – even as firefighters from 50 companies worked to extinguish the blaze.
The blaze, which began in the northeastern-most building on the property where large rolls of paper were stored, destroyed 31 of 36 buildings.
The plant employed about 500 workers. About 200 people were on the premises when the blaze began and everyone got out safely, officials said.
Hundreds of people were out of work following the fire, and a job fair was held at Bergen County Community College to help workers find new employment.
NorthJersey.com reported the new facility will cost $90 million to $100 million and take up to 18 months to build. Crow Holdings said it had acquired the 11.87-acre site from Marcal and received site plan approval from Elmwood Park.
An affiliate of Atlas Holdings, the majority shareholder of Marcal, will invest in the project with Crow Holdings, the real estate developer said.
“We recognize and appreciate the history of this site, and we look forward to bringing new economic activity to such a highly visible, prime location,” Clark Machemer, Crow Holdings Development’s senior managing director for the Northeast, said in a statement.
Elmwood Park Mayor Robert Colletti called Marcal “a fixture in our community for nearly a century.”
“(The property) was home to an iconic business that has created careers for thousands and economic impact that is widely felt,” Colletti said in a statement.
Colletti said the borough has been working closely with Crow Holdings with its development plans. The ground breaking for the project is scheduled for this summer.
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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