3 years after the closing of the Linden General Motors plant in northern New Jersey they have found a buyer. Duke Realty has bought the 2.7 million square foot plant with aims of building a mall and a mixed use industrial development on the property.
The plant had previously employed up to 6,000 people and has been a landmark in the community. The use of these relics of an industrial age in the tri-state area as commercial and retail make a great deal of sense. The odds of a major manufacturer coming back into the space with the high expenses and employment costs are slim to none.
Instead, convert these properties so that they will benefit the communities around them.
“We are working closely with the city of Linden to outline our intentions” for the site, Reuter said. In early 2006, Indianapolis-based Duke Realty purchased another former GM automotive assembly plant, in Baltimore, and redeveloped it as an office and industrial park.
This is Duke Realty’s first property in New Jersey, Reuter said. The 2.7-million-square-foot plant in Linden will be demolished before the site is redeveloped, he said. Demolition and cleanup will take about a year.
State Department of Environmental Protection case managers have visited the site to deal with contamination, said Irene Kropp, the DEP’s assistant commissioner for site remediation. While there are remediation issues, such as soil and shallow groundwater, they will not impede development, she said. via NJ.com
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The economic implications of 6000 out of work and putting in a mall and office space will not barely meet the loss. It's a shame they can't offer a tax incentive or some kind of incentive for another factory to come in.
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