By Devina Bhalla
This story appeared in the Special Section: Worcester Emerging, detailing the buzz building around the city. To see the entire section, click here
Even in the coronavirus pandemic, the heart of Worcester and its cultural and arts institutions are optimistic and committed to supporting and growing the community.
“The excitement is real, and that’s what allows us to be where we are now,” said Che Anderson, assistant vice chancellor for city and community relations at UMass Medical School in Worcester. “The resilience is real and that’s what afforded the arts an opportunity to still move and thrive and pivot in a way that other industries haven’t been able to during the pandemic.”
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Congressmen Jim McGovern, Richard Neal tour former Boys Club facility in Worcester in search of federal solutions to help bolster its renovation
Updated 5:27 PM;
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Jim McGovern looked up at the 30,000 square foot brick building at 2 Ionic Ave. in Worcester on Tuesday morning. Within the walls that date back more than a century, the congressman representing Massachusetts’ 2nd District was reminded of the trips he made to the building as a child.
At that time, the city knew the building as the Boys Club. It welcomed nearly 2,000 boys daily for swimming, basketball, boxing, chess and other activities. McGovern said he learned how to swim in the pool at the facility.
‘We don’t want to leave our home’; US Rep. Richard Neal, state lawmakers tour foundations afflicted with crumbling pyrrhotite concrete
Updated 5:25 PM;
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WALES U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal saw firsthand Tuesday the slow but unstoppable cracking that plagues home foundations in Massachusetts and Connecticut built decades ago with pyrrhotite in the concrete, an issue he’s addressed for years in Washington.
“It’s one thing to hear about it,” said state Sen. Anne M. Gobi, who has advocated on behalf of pyrrhotite-afflicted homeowners in her district. “It’s another thing to see it happening.”
Gobi and state Rep. Brian Ashe organized Thursday’s visit to two affected homes in Wales.
WORCESTER The Planning Board Wednesday approved the site plan for the transformation of the old Worcester Boys & Girls Club building on Ionic Avenue into a creative arts space and childcare center.
Board members were enthusiastic in their support for the project, which when completed in 2022 will be the Creative Hub Worcester Arts Center, a mix of artist studios, event space, and educational classrooms. This is a fantastic example of reusing a building for an excellent purpose for the community, board member Ellie Gilmore said before the board voted 5-0 to approve the site plan for 661 Main St. and 2 Ionic Ave.