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Costco in Wayne, NJ, evacuated after reports of Freon leak
Wayne Costco was evacuated on Tuesday, August 6, 2025, after reports of a Freon leak. Employees wait outside while emergency crews investigate the incident.
WAYNE – Dozens of YMCA employees have been notified of an impending mass layoff at the facility as the municipality prepares to take over the property on Pike Drive.
The state Department of Labor and Workforce Development, which oversees certain layoffs, said 155 workers had received the required warnings and their terminations took effect on Nov. 1. By law, an employer with at least 100 employees must give advance warning if 50 or more workers are affected by a plant closure.
However, municipal officials have promised to hire as many of the affected workers as possible.
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“We will need them to carry out all the programs that are running there today,” said Mayor Christopher Vergano.
In June, officials announced they were negotiating with the YMCA to purchase the 35-acre site on Ratzer Road for future expansion of the township’s parks and recreation department. The 145,904-square-foot facility offers numerous amenities, including an amphitheater, fitness center and six-lane indoor swimming pool.
The council later authorized the administration to enter into a purchase agreement for $12.2 million. The costs will be paid from the open space fund.
This agreement was signed on Tuesday around noon.
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Over the next two months, Vergano said, the administration will contact YMCA employees and ask “if they want to stay with us.” Officials will also conduct additional inspections of the facility and review its financial records.
Vergano said most YMCA employees are part-time and would not be eligible for health insurance benefits if hired by the municipality. He said those same part-time employees are not represented by a bargaining unit.
The Wayne YMCA is part of the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Livingston with seven branches in Bergen, Essex, Passaic and Sussex counties.
Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news in your local community, subscribe or activate your digital account today.
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