MARLBORO – The Marlboro A&P supermarket is closing and the future use of the space the food store has occupied for decades is uncertain.
The owner of the supermarket at 460 Route 520 announced it had given 64 employees Worker Adjustment and Restraining Notification (WARN) notices of termination that are expected to take effect on Thanksgiving.
According to a press release, the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company declared bankruptcy on July 20 and announced it would sell 120 stores.
The company operated 296 stores under the names of A&P, Best Cellars, Food Basics, the Food Emporium, Pathmark, Superfresh and Waldbaum.
According to numbers from the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development, WARN notices have been given to 4,189 employees at A&P, 2,882 employees at Pathmark, 563 employees at Food Basics and 246 employees at Superfresh, and all will take into effect on Thanksgiving, Nov. 26.
The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company Inc. terminated 144 employees on Oct. 21 and Pathmark Stores Inc. and Blair Distributors terminated 168 employees on Oct. 27.
“I have been in contact with the shopping center owner and understand they are trying to get another supermarket,” Mayor Jonathan Hornik said. “I offered the assistance of the town to make that happen as we always support good ratables.”
Representatives from Stop and Shop and Key Foods have said they are not purchasing the Marlboro A&P location.
Regal Homes owns the shopping center at the intersection of Route 520 and Route 79 and has declined to comment on the matter.