Business

How Boston pieced together the Lego headquarters move

January 24, 2023 by pkzadmin

The Lego project snapped into place quite suddenly.

No, not the mini Millennium Falcon set your kid is playing with, or even the near-life-sized giraffe made out of blocks in Assembly Square — rather, the whirlwind of activity that led to the toy giant announcing that it will be moving its western hemisphere headquarters to Boston.

“Boston is the place to be and shows no signs of slowing down,” an upbeat Boston Economic Development Chief Segun Idowu told the Herald on Tuesday following the first announcement of the Wu administration of the city successfully luring a company to move a headquarters here by 2026. “We see this is the first of many to come.”

That said, Iduwo described a process that actually didn’t require too much coaxing at all in order to persuade the Danish company to move its Americas HQ from its 47-year home of Enfield, Connecticut, to Boston over the next few years — rather than to the other options of New York City or another Nutmeg State locale.

Here’s how the move, which Idowu said he expects to bring hundreds of new jobs, came together.

The process started with a missive from the business-focused nonprofit MassEcon: a big company’s thinking about coming to Boston. You interested?

They were. City Director of Business Development Alia Forrest and a team began meetings with MassEcon — even though the name of the company itself remained in the shadows.

“We didn’t know it was Lego until the last, like, 72 hours,” Idowu said.

He said they met with Lego for the first time Monday, and really didn’t need to give a hard sell.

“We thought we were going into a pitch meeting, and their first opening lines were essentially ‘Boston has all the things that we’re looking for, and we’re going to tell our team tomorrow that we’re coming to Boston,’” Idowu recounted on Tuesday.

The city didn’t offer any incentives. In fact, the company wasn’t looking for them, Idowu said.

What they were saying, he said, was “music to our ears.”

“They were looking to find ways to be closer to their workforce and their talent — to find a place that had accessible transportation and to find a location that was mission-aligned,” he said.

Aside from obvious outliers like Amazon, which turned its “HQ2” search into a press bonanza, pitting cities against each other, the more cloak-and-dagger routine like this is par for the course. Companies typically want to avoid press until they’ve got a destination nailed down.

MassEcon, a nonprofit that works with homegrown companies and touts the Bay State as a place for others to come, often serves in what Executive Director Peter Abair describes as a “front door” role, looking to give companies the privacy to explore the option without leaving the type of government-communications paper trail that frequently makes it into the press.

“We’re so self-critical, we sometimes don’t convey how special we are,” Abair told the Herald. “So self-critical. Like, ‘the New England Patriots won six Super Bowls. They should have won nine.’ It’s very unique.”

He — and Idowu said similarly — noted that despite the many real complaints about the MBTA, it’s one of the largest such systems in the country. We also have the various colleges, hospitals and a major international airport.

He also gave “all the credit in the world” to Mayor Michelle Wu’s team in Boston and Gov. Maura Healey’s brand-new state administration, who both jumped on this quickly.

“That’s what you need for success,” Abair said.

There’s still a lot to be worked out. Lego hasn’t chosen an actual site for the headquarters yet, though Idowu said he wants it to at least be near downtown, which the Wu administration is trying to revitalize following the pandemic and ensuing shift to hybrid work.

And it’s not like either side has signed anything, either; the company hasn’t affirmed any guarantees, and the city hasn’t given anything to them.

“Boston is ranked one of the best cities in the world to attract and retain talent,” Skip Kodak, the head of Lego Group of the Americas, said in a statement. “This, along with its world-class academic institutions, skilled workforce and great quality of life makes it an ideal location for our US head office.”

Lego declined to make anyone available for an interview on Tuesday following the announcement, but a spokesman, when asked further about the choice of Boston, said “A move to Boston made sense.

“Our priority is to move to a location which offers a large talent pool able to support our business in the future. We already had connections with Boston given our LEGO Education office is located there,” the company said, using its characteristic all-caps styling and referring to the spot in the Back Bay where somewhere in the ballpark of 100 people already work.

The move will begin to roll out in 2025 and wrap up in early 2026, according to the company.

“I look forward to supporting LEGO Group as they transition their headquarters to Boston and join our mission to become the most family-friendly city in the country,” Wu said in a statement. “This news finally has my kids impressed.”

Fitchburg new biz Letz Rage offers patrons the chance to smash stuff

January 21, 2023 by pkzadmin

FITCHBURG — Have some anger and stress to release? Feel like hitting something or enjoy making a glorious mess? Newly opened smash biz Letz Rage is the perfect place for you to get all your angst out.

Co-owners Brian Lipomi, president of the company, and his husband Jonathan Martelli held a soft opening at their 49 John Fitch Highway spot last weekend that drew many people interested in smashing stuff.

“We have had a great amount of traffic so far,” Lipomi said. “The community support and customer feedback has been astonishing. It certainly lets us know we’re in the right place.”

Brian Lipomi (left) recently opened Fitchburg smash biz Letz Rage along with his husband Jonathan Martelli (right) in their hometown. COURTESY LETZ RAGE

A little over 9-tons of glass is on hand to smash in the rage room that’s open to ages 13 plus. The room features all sorts of breakables including plates, vases, bottles, and mirrors along with furniture, electronics, appliances, and televisions, “anything we can get our hands on that doesn’t pose a health or safety risk,” and a variety of weapons to choose from to shatter and demolish everything in sight.

The paint splatter room enables customers of any age to create some art and to be the art by splattering paints of all colors on the walls, ceiling, floors, canvases, and on the people in your party with brushes, paint guns and more.

Bluetooth connectivity and personal protective equipment such as safety goggles, coveralls and ponchos, face shields, and gloves are provided. Several different package options are available including BYOS, Bring Your Own Smash, The Quickie, The Break-up, to name a few — and the best part of it all is that you make the mess, and they clean it up.

“I feel there can be tons of benefits to participating in an activity like these,” Lipomi said. “I’m not exactly a medical professional but I’d certainly say it’s a healthy way to release anger, stress, and improve your mood. We provide a truly non-judgmental space to just let it all out!”

Recently opened Fitchburg biz Letz Rage offers patrons the chance to release stress by smashing breakables and throwing paint around. (COURTESY LETZ RAGE)

The couple, who have been married since 2016 and together for 13 years, are offering a 10% discount to customers who mention this article and will be celebrating with a grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday morning at 11 a.m. Private functions and team building events are part of their plans moving forward. Part of the building will be dedicated to a “party space” where participants can rent the room.

“We also have a local network of businesses that can help us fulfill special requests such as catering or custom cakes,” Lipomi said.

When asked what inspired them to open Letz Rage, Lipomi said that after visiting a rage room that is over an hour away, he realized it “was the best thing I never knew I needed.”

“Personally, for me it was almost like a euphoric feeling and an amazing stress relief,” he recalled. “It was then that I realized our hometown could really benefit from a safe outlet like this.”

The 34-year-old said that after doing some research he discovered the reaction he had “was a common description” and that smashing things “has been utilized as an anger and stress relief tool in Japan for over a decade.”

“Of course, not all ages can participate in smashing things with our ‘tools of mass destruction’ and that is exactly why we added the paint room into our business model,” Lipomi said. “The paint splatter experience is arguably just as stress relieving and fun, but also allows any age a safe outlet to participate.”

Visitors who stopped by newly opened Fitchburg business Letz Rage during the soft opening weekend enjoyed smashing stuff and making a glorious mess with paint. (COURTESY LETZ RAGE)

The entrepreneur grew up in Billerica “with a strong single mother who showed us that anything is possible through dedication and hard work” and attended public schools there. Lipomi worked for MedStar Ambulance for a number of years and because he was in the Twin Cities area a lot for work, “the Fitchburg and Leominster area started to really feel like home” to him. The couple bought a house in the city in 2020 and have resided there with their dogs ever since.

He said the process of opening Letz Rage “has been smooth overall” despite one obstacle when it came to trying to find just the right spot for it.

“Our biggest challenge with opening was finding the right property that would truly allow us to provide a safe experience for everyone regardless of age,” Lipomi relayed. “Being such a new activity there was also quite a bit of push back from insurance companies and property owners, mostly due to the lack of understanding regarding what a business like this entails.”

Letz Rage is their second business, which they anticipate will “be an additional full time-gig.” Their other one is Hometown Pros LLC, a landscaping, construction, and plowing company which services the Twin Cities and beyond, “all the way to Ayer and anywhere in between.”

“Deep down I know I have what it takes to bring another business that helps the community we live in be a better place every day,” Lipomi said. “As long as we continuously provide an exceptional experience to the participants, we will successfully be able to provide jobs, activity, give back, and hopefully be able to help the city combat illegal dumping a bit.”

The way they are helping to combat illegal dumping is by gladly accepting donations of all kinds. “Don’t trash it, let us smash it!” is their mantra and people can set up a time to drop off or coordinate a pickup by calling or texting 978-868-0999 or visiting letzrage.com, the same process customers can use to reserve spots to rage or paint.

“We will always accept donations,” Lipomi said, adding they welcome “a wide array of including glassware, small appliances, most electronics, flat screen TVs and even some furniture.”

“We have received an overwhelming positive response from everyone, and it seems this area can really benefit from a business like this,” he said. “Reasons like being able to offer another resource to recycle some of those hard to dispose of items to providing the community a place offering a smashing good time, the community has given me hundreds of reasons to know Letz Rage is in the right city.”

He went on to say that a couple local businesses, D & D Waste Removal and The Cellar, “have welcomed us with a steady stream of support and items to be recycled through our rage rooms” and that the response from their circle has been phenomenal.

“My family and friends have definitely become accustomed to my crazy ideas and are always right by my side no matter what. You will surely see friends and family helping out there every day,” Lipomi said. “They all thought I was crazy for bringing my other business to the area at the beginning of the state shutdown, but they wholeheartedly supported the opening and still are active parts of the daily operations to this day.”

And when it comes to the support from them as well as the greater community, the hardworking business owners say that “can’t stress it enough” how much they appreciate it.

“Thank You!” Lipomi said. “No matter how many times I say it, I don’t think the people that support me know how thankful I truly am. Without my friends and family these dreams would likely not become a reality and without our community and customers, we wouldn’t have a business at all. We look forward to welcoming everyone in and growing with our community.”

Groton’s Salt and Light Café closer to purchasing its own property

January 20, 2023 by pkzadmin

GROTON — The owners of the Salt and Light Café on Main Street are another step closer to owning the property where their business operates.

Recently, the cafe was approved for a $206,000 loan by the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation, in partnership with Main Street Bank. The cafe is located at 159 Main St. and the loan will ensure employment of three full time and three part time employees, according to a press release from NCMDC.

Salt and Light Café opened in 2015 by Josiah and Linda Coleman, who also own Coleman Catering. Josiah is the executive chef, while Linda oversees operations for the cafe and catering company.

According to NCMDC, the cafe uses only fresh ingredients and provides a relaxing environment for guests to relax and linger while enjoying bold, eclectic dishes that fuels and inspires those served.

“When we opened Salt and Light, we wanted to create an environment where customers feel welcomed as our friends,” Josiah Coleman said in the press release. “Through the support of the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation, in partnership with Main Street Bank, we can cement our roots in downtown Groton as a place to enjoy savory cuisine with family and friends.”

In addition to providing food, the cafe also boasts a small retail boutique area with items for sale from local makers, artists, farms and businesses.

NCMDC is a microloan lender and can provide small businesses with up to $250,000 for working capital, real estate, equipment, inventory and expansion. Working with their banking partners can provide gap financing for the final piece of a project. NCMDC is the economic development arm of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce.

For more information about the NCMDC loan programs, call 978-353-7607 or visit northcentralmass.com or choosenorthcentral.com.

Green Meadows dispensary hoping to make a positive impact on the Fitchburg community

January 16, 2023 by pkzadmin

FITCHBURG — When U.S. Army Maj. Gen. George Patton IV retired to his father’s Hamilton, Massachusetts homestead, Green Meadows, back in 1980, he set out to provide the community with local-grown, organic-certified, traditional produce.

George Patton IV dedicated himself and the land’s farmable acres to sustainable agriculture. While he, unfortunately, died in 2004, his descendants have continued that tradition and carried the Green Meadows mantle into an emerging industry: cannabis.

Led by Chairman Bob Patton, son of George Patton IV and grandson of the famed U.S. Army Gen. George S. Patton Jr., the Green Meadows family jumped headfirst into the ever-evolving world of medicinal and recreational cannabis. Met with major success at their first location in Southbridge, the cannabis outfit opened up shop in Fitchburg after a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 12.

And with their product, said Bob Patton’s stepson and Green Meadows CEO Chris Zawacki, Green Meadows’ mission is to improve the life of each and every customer, whether their purchase is recreational or medicinal.

“We want to help people, that’s our mission and it has driven us every day,” Zawacki said. “We’re not doctors, we don’t claim to be, but to be able to provide some efficacy for an ailment to somebody and to see that make a positive change in their daily life, it’s really rewarding.”

“To be able to make that difference, it’s a really cool thing. And we’re happy with our progress so far, but we’re just getting started,” he said.

What began as a horse farm on the North Shore was purchased and dubbed Green Meadows by George S. Patton Jr. in 1928. From then until 2012, when the land was placed under Hamilton’s stewardship and leased to local farmers, the Patton family had a hand in the growth and sale of produce.

In 2017, a year after the establishment of the Cannabis Control Commission, Bob Patton and the rest of the family saw the potential of medicinal cannabis as an aid for PTSD symptoms experienced by veterans and, later, for other ailments such as epilepsy, Crohn’s disease and multiple sclerosis. They planned to use the land to grow and sell organic, medicinal-grade cannabis around the state.

While that plan was scrapped for a number of reasons, and in spite of the fact that there was far more to the process than they anticipated, Bob Patton refused to give up on his and Green Meadows’ mission to help others.

“The original plan was that we would grow organic, medicinal cannabis at the original Green Meadows farm,” Bob Patton said. “Ultimately, it didn’t happen, but that didn’t stop us.”

“In Massachusetts, according to the [Cannabis Control Commission], if you’re going to be a medical grower and provider of cannabis product, you also have to have at least one dispensary. So, suddenly, we were in the dispensary business, which was even more uncharted territory for us,” he said.

After a lot of learning and a lengthy search process, the group settled on Southbridge as the site of their first dispensary, which opened in February 2021 for recreational and, later, medicinal sales. Bob Patton and Zawacki said the fact that they “felt wanted by the community” had a major impact on their decision.

“We saw Southbridge as somewhere we could really make a difference,” Zawacki said. “And they more than welcomed us, which made it an even easier decision for us early on.”

Business boomed and, with expansion in mind, the search for a second location began. Bob Patton and Zawacki said Fitchburg presented the same qualities that made Southbridge an attractive location and, while they are only open for recreational sales [a medicinal license is expected for the location in the near future], they expect similar success.

“Nothing is easy, but the process with the city was fairly smooth,” Bob Patton said. “Fitchburg, it sort of came to us and, as we looked around, the more we saw, the better we felt about it.”

“From the beginning, there was a sense of collaboration, and that really has characterized all of the experiences that we’ve had here so far,” he said.

“Fitchburg was a different animal than Southbridge because there were already some operators in the area,” Zawacki said. “So we knew it was going to be a different approach for us, but we still saw it as a community in which we could do a lot of good, where we could come and make a difference.”

While the location just opened, the business has already put in some serious work to pave the way for that success: Zawacki said he has been in contact with other local businesses and charitable organizations about opportunities to collaborate. Bob Patton said his “goal” was to be “super-engaged” with customers and the community at large on both a business and personal level.

“Everybody knows us and we know everybody down there — and I want to see the same thing here in Fitchburg,” he said. “We want mutual engagement, a back and forth, with our consumers: what do they know about cannabis? What don’t they know? What do we and don’t we know?”

“If you can get that, if you find that engagement within the community, you’ve got something very good.”

Until they see that success, however, Zawacki made it clear that they plan to serve the Fitchburg community to the best of their ability.

“We hope that people come here and it’s just a different experience for them,” Zawacki said. “Based on what our mission is and our goals as a company, we want to both serve them and change their lives for the better in whatever way that means for each individual.”

“Ultimately, we’re here to serve our customers’ needs first. We want to know what drives them, why they use the products they do and how can best serve them — and we’ll do our best to provide,” he said.

And, when asked why any customer should choose their location over another in the area, Bob Patton said, at Green Meadows, customers are “participating in our story.”

“Why [Green Meadows]? It’s the product, it’s the service and the story,” Patton said. “We care about what we do here and the organic products are a part of that but, when customers come in, we hope they know that they’re participating in our story.”

“We are a family-owned business, we’re not a multistate operator with deep pockets. So, however successful we may become, our origins are always going to be a part of us and we want people to participate in that story,” he said.

Luccas American Kitchen lands physical location

January 8, 2023 by pkzadmin

LEOMINSTER – The new year is bringing a welcome new chapter for the Davick family, who opened a temporary location of their popular eatery Luccas American Kitchen this weekend.

The Davick family is thrilled to announce that the 511 Lancaster St. temporary location for Luccas American Kitchen opened up for takeout this weekend, nearly 18 months after the original location of the Leominster restaurant was destroyed by fire. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE) — The temporary location for Luccas American Kitchen at 511 Lancaster St. opened up for takeout this weekend, nearly 18 months after the original location of the Leominster restaurant was destroyed by fire. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)

The reopening has been a long time coming following a fire that decimated the Lancaster Street restaurant nearly 18 months ago.

The new location inside a converted brick factory building at 511 Lancaster St., just a short distance from their original site, will serve as their home base until the restaurant is rebuilt. They started offering takeout Friday and Saturday and plan to continue with that Monday through Saturday until they get their liquor license address change finalized, hopefully sometime in the near future.

Co-owners Jodi and John Davick said they “had a lot of offers for a place to call home temporarily” but wanted to hold out until they found a perfect fit.

“We didn’t know how long it was going to take to come together,” Jodi said of the long process of rebuilding. “This will work great for us until we are ready to go back to our place.”

The couple and their children, 24-year-old daughter Madison and son Calixte, 20, will work at the space that has an occupancy of 85 and features high ceilings, an expansive bar area, and a variety of seating options including low and high tops.

It sat unoccupied for a while and the Davicks worked over the last several months to get it ready to open and put their mark on it with art and personal touches. The bar and hood vent in the kitchen were already in place as the landlord “had intentions of doing something with it,” which worked out well for the Davicks. They were able to salvage some of the furniture, lighting fixtures, and other things from the burned restaurant and stored it until they moved it into the new place.

The support from the greater community immediately following the July 2021 fire and in the aftermath is something the close-knit family will never forget. Several fellow business owners and many local residents stopped by to drop off food and boxes and offered to help.

“Everybody reached out to us in some shape or form,” Jodi said.

Firefighting crews from Fitchburg and Leominster quickly extinguished the fire that broke out on July 17, 2019 at Luccas American Kitchen on Lancaster Street. (SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE FILE PHOTO) — Firefighting crews from Fitchburg and Leominster quickly extinguished the fire that broke out on July 17, 2021 at Luccas American Kitchen on Lancaster Street. (SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE FILE PHOTO)

Madison said they are incredibly grateful for everything people did for them following the devastating fire.

“The first three days were so community heavy,” she said before sharing that they received a card from someone who was in the restaurant the night of the fire. “So many little things that have been big.”

When asked what he is looking forward to most about the restaurant reopening Calixte, a junior at Fitchburg State University who said he hasn’t worked since Luccas closed following the fire, was quick to say, “making money,” drawing laughter from his family.

They’ve been busy since the fire, bringing their food truck to various public and private events including weddings, parties, festivals, corporate events, and more. The truck, which was originally set up as a mobile kitchen to use during catering events, racked up a lot of miles over the last year and a half.

Luccas American Kitchen owners Jodi and John Davick are raffling off the chance to win a catered barbecue spread for 40, a fundraiser to benefit paralyzed 18-year-old hockey player Jake Thibeault. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE) — Luccas American Kitchen owners Jodi and John Davick brought their food truck to dozens of events, festivals, parties, and more over the last 18 months. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE FILE PHOTO)

“It was something we never dreamed of,” Jodi said of the food truck becoming their livelihood. “Apparently there is a need, it has been an unexpected twist in the business.”

People reached out to them to book the food truck and let them know about potential bookings and Jodi said her mornings were “spent on the computer scouring” for events, sharing that she “ran one computer into the ground.”

“During the pandemic and fire time we had more family time, but we also worked very hard in a very different way,” Madison said.

When asked what that was like for them, John joked that they were either “determined or stupid, one in the same.”

His wife said they “worked really hard” to keep the business going through the food truck — and that many people stopped to ask when they would reopen, including one time when she was shopping for underwear.

“You just want to go out in sweatpants,” Jodi laughed, noting that her husband “flies under the radar.”

John Davick surveys the kitchen at the 511 Lancaster St. Leominster Luccas American Kitchen temporary location (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)

“We will be excited not to have to answer a million questions, but it’s a good problem to have.”

One silver lining from the restaurant being closed for so long is they have been able to spend more time together as a family.

“If we didn’t work, we didn’t see them,” Madison said of her parents and the oftentimes crazy restaurant owner lifestyle and hours.

Jodi talked about how they have been able to switch family dinners back to a more normal hour of the day, “not at 10 p.m.”

They said the legion of Luccas fans can expect all of their old favorites on the menu including fish tacos, street noodles, burgers, and more, an eclectic mix of cuisines from around the world created with the Luccas spin.

John said he has already ordered “burgers special made in Maine” and each of them have their favorite dishes they look forward to enjoying again. For Calixte, who said he’s probably had 400 of their burgers since they opened Luccas in November of 2017, it’s chicken parm or wings, and for Jodi it’s a meal that has a special meaning behind it.

The aftermath of the fire that broke out on July 17 in the attic of Luccas American Kitchen on Lancaster Street in Leominster during the dinner rush. Everyone evacuated safely. — The aftermath of the fire that broke out on July 17, 2021 in the attic of Luccas American Kitchen on Lancaster Street in Leominster during the dinner rush. Thankfully no one was injured and the Davick family is in the process of rebuilding their eatery “from below the ground up.” (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE FILE PHOTO)

“I love the Tuscan salmon risotto, it has all the items in it I like,” she said. “I like to think John made it for me.”

Several staff members are returning to the fold, “some in a different capacity” Jodi said, as they got full time jobs in the interim, including Rutland resident Emily Rainford. Rainford has been part of the Luccas team since day one and said she “kind of stumbled around the past two years trying to find my way.”

“I was fortunate to land a full-time position at the Sterling Fire Department and have been holding out hope that this was all going to come together,” she said of the restaurant resurrection. “Luccas is right up the street and is just a great fit for the other things I’ve got going on.”

She said she’s worked in a few other restaurants since the fire and “though they were all great,” they weren’t Luccas.

“Jodi and John really allow me to develop a great cocktail list using fantastic ingredients but more importantly they put up with my shenanigans and then thank me at the end of the day for my hard work,” Rainford said. “I’m looking forward to getting the crew back together. There are more than 10 of us returning and I believe that says a lot. Though we keep in touch with text and occasionally meet up outside of work for fun, it will be nice to see them regularly.”

She said she’s had the opportunity to meet the “new additions” and feels they “couldn’t be a better fit for our team.”

“I can’t wait to see our regular guests and find out where they’ve been eating all year when the food truck gets tucked in for the season. I guess at the end of the day, restaurant life is just in my blood. I can’t stinking wait.”

When it comes to the status of rebuilding the old restaurant, which was a complete loss, “from below the ground up” Madison said, it’s an ongoing waiting game to see when they can break ground. They’ve had an engineer and architect in place for quite some time and all the permits and approval from the city and are awaiting the green light to move forward.

“Everything is out for bid,” Jodi said, with her husband adding that due to ongoing supply issues, getting kitchen and other equipment could take some time. They’ve ordered everything and as items come in, they’ll put them aside until they can reopen.

It’s obvious people have been missing Luccas in a big way as the reaction on social media to the hype teasing the reopening has been astronomical.

“A lot of people left that night with food on their plates,” Jodi said of the fire.

Fitchburg State theater project gets $2 million in federal funding

January 3, 2023 by pkzadmin

FITCHBURG — Fitchburg State University’s downtown theater restoration project has received $2 million in federal support thanks to the efforts of the regional congressional delegation.

The funds will go toward the development of a “black box” theater to be constructed adjacent to the main theater building in the downtown performing arts center. The new construction will be used for university productions and the public, with the restoration of the historic theater to follow in a future phase of construction.

U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan announced the funding as part of a larger $20.7 million spending package for the 3rd Congressional District.

“We are extraordinarily grateful for the support of Congresswoman Trahan in securing funds for this transformational project and recognizing the importance that the performing arts center will have on our students and the cultural enrichment and economic development for the city and region,” said Fitchburg State President Richard Lapidus in a statement. “I want to further express my appreciation to Senators Markey and Warren, our state legislators and city leaders who continue to collaboratively play a part in moving this important project forward.”

The university purchased the long-dormant theater block at 717 Main St. in 2016. The building is already home to the game studio wherein seniors in Fitchburg State’s game design program complete their capstone semesters, as well as the interdisciplinary ideaLab that is used for small business training and other functions. Additional storefronts in the building are being renovated for commercial and gallery space thanks to previous municipal, state and federal allocations.

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