Mahwah August 4, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 3 Luxury fashion retailer leases warehouse building by Frank J. McMahon The Mahwah Planning Board has approved a tenant application by luxury fashion retailer, Net-A-Porter, Ltd. to lease the vacant commercial building at the intersection of Macarthur Boulevard and Darlington Avenue. Net-A-Porter, (pronounced net-a-portae), is a London-based international company with offices in Manhattan that sells luxury woman’s clothing and accessories through catalogs on the Internet, according to Bruce Whitaker, Esq. The attorney handled who handled the company’s application to the planning board. The company will lease the entire 168,000 square feet of the building, which contains warehouse and office space with 12 truck loading docks on one side. The building was formerly occupied by the Konica Minolta company, but has been vacant for several years. Whitaker said the fashion company has a long-term lease on the building and will create 200 jobs in the area, although the date for the company to begin operating in the township is not yet known. According to the township’s tax records, the property is owned by the Teachers Insurance & Annuity, which is managed by the Grubb & Ellis commercial real estate investment and asset management firm in Fairfield. The property has an assessed value of $11 million and it generated $246,690 in property taxes for the township in 2009 and will generate $233,640 in the 2010 tax year. The Net-A-Porter website features high fashion editorials about the latest fashion trends and it is updated weekly with new content and products. The retailer advised that this site, which is presented in the style of a fashion magazine, is viewed by over 2.5 million women each month. The company claims that it offers “the style-savvy customer exactly what she wants -- unprecedented access to the hottest looks of the season from international cutting edge labels via worldwide express delivery.” Recently the website featured designs by Karate champions Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent, and Roberto Cavalli. The website was launched in June 2000. Since that time, Net-A-Porter says it has successfully established itself as a luxury brand with “impeccable packaging and unrivalled customer care.” Mayor Richard Martel described this building as one of the larger buildings in the township and he noted that it has been vacant for a couple of years. “It’s nice to see that it’s now going to be occupied and occupied to its fullest rather than being cut into pieces for various companies,” Martel said. “So we are pleased about that. It’s a unique company coming into Mahwah,” he added. “I don’t think we have anything that resembles this type of business and we’re happy that building is now going to be fully occupied.” Shido-Kan Karate of Mahwah students recently earned 10 medals at the AAU National Karate Championship held recently in Albany, New York. Sensei Mitch Cooperman and Assistant Instructor/Co-owner Judy Cooperman reported that local students brought home medals for first, second, and third place rankings in Individual Kata, Kobudo (weapons) and Kumite (sparring) competitions. Zack Bauman, 9, of Sugar Loaf, New York won gold medals in Kata and Kobudo, and Kelsie Erdman, 6, of Mahwah won a gold medal in Kumite and a silver medal in Kata. Bauman and Erdman are pictured. ����������������������������������������������������������� Infants, Toddler, Preschool and Kindergarten, Grades 1-6, Ages 6 weeks to 12 years ������������������������������������� CORE A Truly Unique Montessori School • Unique Phonics Reading Program • Computers • Music • Foreign Language • 3 or 5 Half Days • Full Days 7am - 6pm • Fastrackids • Character Education • Parenting Seminars • Dance Academy of the A PPLE ���������������������� ������� �������������������������� ������������������������ ��������������������� ������������� ������������������� ������������ ��������������� Call, visit and compare the advantages gained for your child... • Daily Swimmming Lessons, Heated Pool designed for safety of young children • Sports/Organized Games • Arts & Crafts • Field Trips • Music/Dance • In House Events • Nature & Science • Computers • Cooking Summer Camp www.applemontessorischools.com 192 Ramapo Valley Rd. OAKLAND 201-337-0183 Please call for our other locations 973-696-9750 Nevins Rd. WAYNE 75 East Ramapo Valley Rd. MAHWAH 201-512-1141