Council Finalizes Deal to Sell Defunct Ahava Plant

OGDENSBURG, NY — The City Council finalized an agreement Monday to sell the defunct cheese plant on Main Street.

The City Council unanimously agreed to the terms reached last month between City Manager Arthur J. Sciorra and Toobro LLC, Hewlett Neck, owned by Menachem and Schneur Bistritzky, to sell the property and city-owned equipment for $900,000.

The lease includes a $125,000 down payment, which will be paid over the next five months as Toobro seeks a license from the state Department of Agriculture and Markets to purchase milk, and an additional $12,000 monthly rent for up to 13 months as the company closes the sale, Mr. Sciorra said.

“We look forward to a successful relationship with the city,” Schneur Bistritzky said. “We really appreciate the work the city people have done to reach this agreement.”

The city foreclosed on the 30 Main St. facility in July because of $90,000 owed in rent and $618,138 in utility payments due from Ahava Food Corp., then owner of the plant.

The plant has been closed since Feb. 20, when the Department of Agriculture and Markets suspended the plant’s operating license after inspectors found high levels of bacteria and coliform in the products.

Toobro purchased the assets of Ahava Food Corp., including a similar cheese-making plant in Lowville, in February. Since then, the company spent more than $100,000 upgrading the roof, steam pipes and floor drains at the Ogdensburg plant.

Since the deal was reached last month, more than 50 workers have been brought back to the plant, which produces “cholov yisroel” grade kosher cheese and milk, city officials said.

According to city officials, the property is appraised at $1.2 million.