New warehouse opens on Marcal property, a 'trophy location,' in Elmwood Park

Over five years ago, Elmwood Park witnessed one of the most devastating blazes in borough history when the iconic Marcal Paper Mills factory on Route 80 caught fire and was destroyed.

This month, a new $100 million, 207,000-square-foot warehouse opened on a section of the Marcal property, with a ribbon-cutting on March 1, though tenants have not been announced.

Dallas-based Crow Holdings, the developer behind the warehouse, estimated $34 million in economic activity, $630,000 in local tax payments and 240 full-time jobs, plus 140 short-term construction jobs. They acquired a 12-acre part of the property from Marcal in spring 2022.

Marcal officials said after the fire that about 500 jobs had been lost. Thirty of the 36 structures on the property were destroyed, along with the factory’s iconic red neon sign.

But the business was able to resume some manufacturing on the site in early 2020, bolstered by a run on bathroom tissue and other paper products during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

“From the start, we received tremendous support for this project and shared a focus on revitalizing the area,” said Crow’s senior managing director, Clark Machemer.

“The resulting transformation has introduced a commercial use opportunity befitting of its trophy location — one reflective of the history of the site and surrounding area,” Machemer said.

Developers say the one-story warehouse features a brick exterior and black window mullions — exterior decorative elements that are meant to evoke the feeling of a local historic landmark.

“It’s more like a convention center than a warehouse,” said Robert Colletti, the mayor of Elmwood Park.

Daniel Munoz covers business, consumer affairs, labor and the economy for NorthJersey.com and The Record. 

Email: munozd@northjersey.com; Twitter:@danielmunoz100

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Marcal NJ warehouse: Renovated spot now open after fire