Dive Brief:

• Mondelez International will close a production facility that has served as the centerpiece of life in Philadelphia's Somerton and Bustelton neighborhoods for generations. 
• Some 350 people will lose their jobs at the plant, which makes Oreos and Ritz crackers. 
• The move was widely expected. Mondelez has hinted at a possible closure for months. Production will shift to existing plants in New Jersey and Virginia.

Dive Insight:

As we suggested in November, when it first appeared likely the Northeast Philly facility would shutter, the city would lose more than jobs if Mondelez moved forward. The old factory provided a center to neighborhoods that seem to have little else going for them. Here's hoping that residents and city officials can recover quickly.