Condursos Garden Center, a family business with deep roots in Morris County, is headed for the auction block.
The 28-acre farm in Montville has been producing flowers, plants, trees, shrubs and vegetables since 1929. But the family farm plunged into bankruptcy and the property is scheduled to be sold at auction on Sept. 17.
Through their staff, the owners of Condursos Garden Center declined comment on Thursday. But many of the customers who came by had heard the news.
“I read it on my news feed and stopped by to verify it,” said Bonnie Cintron, a Mountain Lakes resident who said she’s been coming to Condursos for 40 years. After speaking to staff, “They said it’s true,” she said.
Everything is half-price at Condursos Garden Center in Montville through Oct. 31. The garden center off River Road, a family business for 96 years, is scheduled for a public auction on Sept. 17.Richard Cowen/NJ Advance Media for NJ.Com
Cintron, a member of the Mountain Lakes Garden Club, said Condurso’s offered high quality, a large selection, and a knowledgeable staff. She doesn’t want to see it close down.
“A lot of our members purchased things here,” she said. “I would bring my friends, and we would load up on flats and ground covers. So it’s the passing of an era.”
That era lasted nearly 100 years. Bartholomew and Rose Condurso came over from Avellino, Italy, and bought the farm in 1929, according to the company website.
They initially raised vegetables, but as suburbia grew up around them, the Condursos grew with it. The garden center became a one-stop shop for flowers, plants, shrubs and decorations.
Condursos became one of the biggest area suppliers of chrysanthemums, the late-blooming autumn flower. But it appears this fall season will be its last.
View of chrysanthemums at Condursos Garden Center and Farm Market in Montville in this 2005 file photo.NOAH ADDIS/THE STAR-LEDGER
A banner hung over the sign at main entrance offers “50 Percent Off Everything” and the smaller print below says “Thru October 31.”
Next to that, a smaller sign planted in the grass advertises the auction to be conducted onsite by Tranzon Auction Properties.
The property consists of two lots totaling 28.79 acres, and contains a single-family home, greenhouses, storage sheds, barns, and garages, according to a post on the Tranzon website.
Condursos Garden Center is in a commercial zone known as a B-5, which prohibits construction of residential structures. Among the permitted uses in the B-5 zone are farms, greenhouses, public parks, municipal buildings, and self-storage facilities, according to Montville’s land use code.
Montville Mayor Matthew Kayne did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. But in a statement to the Daily Record, which first reported the auction, the mayor sought to allay fears that the farm would one day be housing.
“The Condurso property is not included in the township affordable housing plan and the property is not zoned for residential development,” the statement said. “The township and the administration will be monitoring the outcome of the potential auction later this month.”
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Richard Cowen may be reached at rcowen@njadvancemedia.com.
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