Landmark building may sell City built four-story structure in 1939 as economic incentive

ROCKLAND – A landmark building constructed by the city in 1939 as an economic incentive for clothing manufacturer Van Baalen Pacific Corp. may be shifting owners.

Larry Ingram, vice president of the Rockland operation, confirmed Thursday that the Camden Street building, which houses a Nautica retail store, may be sold.

“There is an offer on that building,” Ingram said, referring to the large, four-story structure, located on Route 1 across from a McDonald’s restaurant. “We’re certainly pondering the best move to make.”

According to Ingram, Van Baalen’s board of directors at company headquarters in New York City is considering an offer. He would not disclose the amount.

Ingram said he did not know when a decision would be made. “It looks promising,” he said.

“It is not the Samoset,” Ingram said, when asked who made the offer, “it’s not MBNA,” referring first to a local resort, then to the credit card lender.

A group of local business people is interested in the facility, he said. But Ingram said he is not sure what their plans are for usage. He believes the building would be extensively renovated rather than torn down.

The 100,000-square-foot, four-story building was built in 1939 as an economic incentive for Van Baalen to run its manufacturing operation here.

Van Baalen moved into the building in 1940, where clothing was manufactured until 1988, he said. The company then used the facility as a warehouse.

The company moved its operations to the industrial park around 1989, where it also distributed the Nautica line of clothing. Then, in 1995, the city approved a $3 million tax increment financing agreement with the company to keep the firm in Rockland and provided a $400,000 Community Development Block Grant to buy and prepare land for the expansion of the business.

The TIF agreement, in effect, postponed taxes on the $13 million expansion for 15 years.

Ingram said that the sale of the building would not affect current operations at the industrial park.