Ferrara Candy Company may be on its way out of Forest Park after 67 years making candy in the village.
According to a real estate listing on LoopNet, the candy company is looking to lease its factory at 7329 Harrison St. from a new owner for six years before the property eventually becomes a new industrial development site.
Ferrara Candy Company did not respond to request for comment by publication.
Steve Glinke, head of the village’s building department, said that, though he doesn’t know the status of the transaction, the property is likely an opportunity for redevelopment.
The factory is nearly 258,000 square feet and “basically grew around their operation,” Glinke said. “The way it’s laid out was always intended to support Ferrara Pan. It’s not one building, it’s multiple additions.”
The candy company started in Chicago’s Little Italy neighborhood in 1908, when Salvatore Ferrara started making candy coated almonds in his bakery. When high demand for candy caused the company to outgrow their space, the factory moved to Forest Park in 1959.
In 2012, Ferrara Pan became Ferrara Candy Company after the family-owned business merged with Catterton Partners. By 2018, the Ferrara family sold its remaining interest in the company.