Henckels' Purchase of MLA Property Finalized

Less than one year after Pleasantville officials announced that the current Hawthorne operations of knife manufacturer J.A. Henckels International had expressed interest in moving to a long dormant village site, the deal has been sealed.

"I am very happy to report that the former MLA property on Marble Avenue is now owned by J. A. Henckels company," Pleasantville Mayor Peter Scherer shared on Friday. "Their purchase of the property from Stop & Shop was completed today."

While the company sought several zoning variances at the site, village officials have been accommodating to the business that will have minimal impacts on traffic and the current space on the Marble Avenue corridor.

The company plans to transfer its approximately 60 employees to the former Medical Laboratory Associates (MLA) building, which has been owned by the Stop & Shop Company, and been unoccupied, for more than a decade.

In addition to office space for its employees, 270 Marble Ave. will have a warehouse for its manufactured goods, though no actual manufacturing will take place on-site. The company does, however, hold annual sales at its headquarters.

"Hopefully they will have enough parking for their yearly warehouse sale," commented Patch reader Bill on a June 14 story. "It has always been a pain parking when they have it in their Route 9A location."

The village often utilizes the property's back parking lot, which has access to Parkway Field. Under the new owner, the village will be able to continue doing so, though Scherer previously noted Henckels may need the space during its sales.

Additionally, as a condition of the village accepting Henckel's proposal, the company has agreed to repave and re-stripe the lot.

The move will be eliminating a vacancy along one of the village's major avenues—one that has seen a lot of activity in recent months. Longtime Old Village eatery A'mangiare recently relocated and expanded in a new building, which also houses the recent addition, Yogolicious.

At a ribbon cutting ceremony a few months back, the village recognized another business opening along the road, Louie & Johnnie's Cheesesteaks and Clam Bar.

"We are delighted to welcome Henckels to Pleasantville, and we look forward to the many improvements they plan for the site and building," Scherer said. "They have completed the site-plan approval process, and we expect to see construction activity begin soon."

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