Former Roche Site Sold: Bloomfield Developer Buys Nutley, Clifton Property

Nutley, NJ – The former Hoffman-La Roche site in Nutley and Clifton has been sold.

During Wednesday’s Nutley Planning Board meeting, Mayor Joseph Scarpelli announced that Bloomfield-based developer Prism Capital Partners has purchased the property, which has been vacant since the company relocated in 2013.

• See related article: Roche Shuts Down Operations

Prism Capital Partners confirmed the sale in a Thursday news release, stating that the company plans to “implement substantial improvements” at the pharmaceutical giant’s 116-acre former North American Headquarters campus, which is located in Nutley and Clifton.

The sale is expected to close Sept. 30, Prism stated.

“Following more than 22 months of comprehensive diligence and complex negotiations, we are delighted to have reached this important transactional milestone,” said Prism principal partner Eugene Diaz. “With the cooperation of Roche, we have secured an outstanding long-term anchor tenant and new business magnet for this campus.”

According to the Nutley Citizens Community Facebook page, the sale price had not been disclosed and the township still had not made a decision about acquiring the parts of the property declared in need of redevelopment.

In addition, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has not given an NFA (no further action) regarding environmental cleanup at the site, the page states.

Video via Eyes On Nutley

While in operation, Roche paid more than $9 million a year in property taxes to Nutley and received millions in tax abatements in the four years before they announced they would shut down operations.

An estimated 1,000 workers were be laid off when the company ceased operations in December of 2013.

• See related article: Roche Employees Devastated by News of Closure

In a company news release, Roche stated that following the site transfer later this year, Roche will retain responsibility for the environmental remediation of the property.

"The clean-up of soils on the site is substantially complete and Roche has initiated several interim remedies to clean up groundwater," the news release stated. "Roche continues to work closely with the NJ DEP and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on the final plan for the groundwater cleanup."

NEW MEDICAL SCHOOL

Hackensack Meridian Health and Seton Hall University have committed to leasing two major buildings and 16 acres at the property, according to Prism Capital Partners.

In June of 2015, the Hackensack University Health Network and Seton Hall University announced that the two organizations have finalized an agreement to create a new, four-year school of medicine at the site.

The partnership would establish the only private Catholic school of medicine in New Jersey, according to a joint release from the two entities.

Seton Hall plans to partly move its College of Nursing and School of Health and Medical Sciences - currently located in South Orange - within the new school of medicine, a release stated.

• See related article: Seton Hall and Hospital Plan to Build Medical School in Nutley

“The sale of the Roche Nutley site was complex due to simultaneous discussions between four parties and many stakeholders," said Tom Lyon, Vice President and Site Head, Roche Nutley. "However, it was important for Roche to sell the property to a qualified developer, while also ensuring that the proposed medical and health sciences campus could become a reality."

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Photo: Prism Capital Partners