Home Care In Fitchburg, MA

The director of the Worcester Regional Food Hub is creating “a launching point” in Fitchburg for aspiring entrepreneurs.

The Fitchburg Public Market is currently preparing to open this October at 35 Main St. in Moran Square. Shon Rainford, the director of Worcester Regional Food Hub said the location is “just down the hill” from Fitchburg State University.

Inside the building will be three service kitchens for people to learn in and create different kinds of ethnic cuisines, a walk-in cooler to store local foods from Massachusetts farms, and stations at the front of the building for vendors to sell their foods.

“Most of our aspiring entrepreneurs [and] businesses are women, a majority are immigrant, and most come from lower middle income backgrounds,” said Rainford. “This is the kind of population that we try to help out and become a launching point for their businesses.”

Rainford said the market offers more kitchen space and equipment compared to his other location, the Worcester Regional Food Hub inside of the Worcester Plaza, known as the “Glass Tower” skyscraper at 446 Main St.

According to Worcester Regional Food Hub Food Entrepreneurship Manager Rob Morris, there was no bathroom or running water inside of the Glass Tower and the glass exterior meant it would get very hot or cold depending on the weather outside.

Rainford said in Worcester they only had access to one kitchen that was located at the Greendale People’s Church, which meant people had to transport their food from the church to the plaza so people could sell their food.

With the Fitchburg Market, Rainford said everything will be made there – fresh, hot, cold, “whatever it is” – and food can be kept or sold.

The Fitchburg location will also have a marketplace where customers can buy foods grown and produced in Massachusetts, including beef, honey, maple syrup and different packaged items. Items made in the kitchen will also be for sale in the grocery store, Rainford said.

Already, about eight vendors including Candy Lady Confections, Mera’s Cakes, El Friquitin and Sweet and Salted all want to sell in the Fitchburg Marketplace.

“In the grand scheme of things, our real aspiration, if it’s their desire ... we get them to a point [where] they’re ready to open their own brick and mortar location,” said Rainford.

The Fitchburg Public Market will cost $56,000 for a one-year rental. But a $50,000 Community Development Block Grant made rental far cheaper, causing Rainford to feel confident about opening this fall.

He also received a $30,000 grant for launching a diverse food entrepreneurs course, which teaches people the basics of starting a food business, and a $200,000 state grant for utility connections, equipment and a refrigerated box truck to help with food distribution.

The building is shared with Identity Coffee Lab, which first opened in Rindge, New Hampshire, and plans to open around the same time as Fitchburg Market. It’s located across from the Fitchburg train station and nearby a number of new apartment complexes. “Lots of parking” will also be available, Rainford added.

Near the business is Fitchburg State University, so Rainford hopes that a lot of students from campus will want to “wind down” and take advantage of the “awesome food” the market will offer.

“It’s a gorgeous location,” said Rainford. “When people are looking ... whether it’s to buy groceries or coming into a place to be able to get some food to sit down and eat, [and] having parking available is important.”

Once open, the market’s business hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

As Rainford plans for the opening of his Fitchburg Market, he said the Worcester Food Hub is actively in the process of “building out a very large center” at Union Station in Worcester that will have five kitchens and a “very, very large” distribution and storage center.

The Food Hub is currently focused on Saturday markets on the lawn outside of the former Market Place space through Sept. 9 before it leaves the location permanently, according to Rob Morris.

The Saturday markets, dubbed “Saturday Mercado,” will still feature food hub businesses, art vendors, live music and a lounge set up by a cannabis company, said Morris. The Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District partnered with the Food Hub to put on the markets and has been responsible for bringing in the entertainment.

The markets are scheduled from noon to 4 p.m.

The Worcester Chamber of Commerce, which runs the Food Hub, is currently looking for an alternative location for the Market Place until it can move into Union Station. Morris is hoping the location will open by spring of next year.

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The city of Fitchburg marks a milestone on Nov. 2 for an artist residence project that's been 10 years in the making. An official groundbreaking ceremony takes place at the construction site that's transforming two vacant schools and a former horse stable. They're right across the street from the Fitchburg Art Museum, where Nick Capasso is director. He's excited for a host of reasons.

“We're rescuing three historic buildings — they were all municipal buildings — so we're putting them all on the tax rolls for the first time,” he said. “And we're planting a great, big flag in Fitchburg that says, 'creative economy, welcome here.”

Capasso remembers when the seed was planted for what's now named the Fitchburg Arts Community. In January 2013, about a month after he started his job at the museum, Marc Dohan came knocking at his door. Dohan, the executive director of a nonprofit, community development corporation called NewVue Communities, asked Capasso if he'd be interested in turning the derelict buildings outside his institution into artist housing. Capasso agreed immediately, and together they began advocating locally for the concept.

Looking back, Dohan recalled thinking Fitchburg would be a ripe location for the creative economy to thrive. “The project takes advantage of the assets that Fitchburg has: its diverse population, great cultural institutions including Fitchburg State University and Fitchburg Art Museum, historic downtown, walkable streets,” he said. “All things that many people in the creative economy like.”

Dohan was also inspired by field trips he went on with his NewVu team and community residents to other cities that had been remaking themselves. “We took several van loads of artists and others to see work in Lowell and Holyoke,” he said. “I also saw artist housing in Connecticut, Providence and Baltimore and I thought that combining art and housing would be a great fit for Fitchburg.”

Now the project is part of a larger, coordinated effort among city and community leaders to reposition the old mill town as a regional center for arts and culture. “Which it once was, when Fitchburg was a thriving community in the early part of the 20th century," Capasso said.

Other recent revitalization efforts include Fitchburg State University's purchase and renovation of the historic Theater Block on Main Street, which received municipal, state and federal funding. “Over the past few years, different entities in the city of Fitchburg have received over $200-million dollars in investment in arts and culture, infrastructure, programming, training, and leadership development,” Capasso said.

The Fitchburg Arts Community is predominantly funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, but also received financial support from private foundations and investors. There have been bumps along the way, including a 2016 fire that burned the roof off one of the project's buildings. Now the building is on track to hold 68 units of “artist preference affordable housing.” In addition to one, two and three-bedroom apartments, there will be studio, gallery, rehearsal and performance spaces.

Capasso said a wide swath of creatives will be encouraged to apply. His lengthy list included visual artists, performing artists, stagehands, directors, and technicians, along with graphic designers, product designers, fashion designers, architects, writers, publishers, culinary workers and people who work in cultural non-profits.

“We are really hoping to attract people not only from our local artist community, but also from the very large artist community in Worcester, which is right down the road,” he said, “and also the artist community in Boston, who can't afford to live in Boston anymore.”

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Lunenburg photographer Nick Nogueira, 27, plans to apply, and can relate to rising rents. In an email, he said rent increases are getting out of hand. “Especially for us artists who don't work a typical 9-to-5 job with benefits like the rest of Americans. So having this place where all of us can live at an affordable rate, and continue to do what we love everyday, is going to take a lot of stress away.”

Nogueira also thinks the living community will create new opportunities for artists to collaborate with each other, and he believes the project will attract more of them to Fitchburg. “Believe it or not, this city has a lot of amazing artists living in it," he said. “I think once this residence opens it is going to give us all the spotlight we've always wanted while living in the city that raised us.”

The Fitchburg Art Museum is designing, and will manage, the enrollment process that includes certification for artist preference housing. Capasso predicts they'll begin accepting applications in the spring.

Since early 2023, construction workers have been preparing the old structures and cleaning up the masonry. New windows are going in now, and building out the interior will continue through winter. Capasso said the complex should be ready for occupancy in early 2025.

“We have worked with the city, with NewVue Communities, and with other non-profits in the city over the last ten years to creatively reimagine what this city could be for the 21st century,” Capasso said. He believes the concept is already working. He pointed to the seven new restaurants that will be opening on Main Street in the coming months, and said housing developers are taking advantage of state incentives for transit-related housing because Fitchburg is on a commuter rail line.

“We have proof of concept now,” Capasso said. “Fitchburg is not what it was 10 years ago.”

FITCHBURG, Mass. — The city of Fitchburg has an “artistic vision” for addressing two big issues: the high cost of housing and jumpstarting the local economy.

Three abandoned buildings are being converted into affordable housing for artists. The goal is to create a new sense of vibrancy in this central Massachusetts city.

Construction is going full throttle for what will be known as the Fitchburg Arts Community.

The project is right across the street from the Fitchburg Art Museum.

“This is going to be transformative for the neighborhood and the city,” said Nick Capasso, Ph.D., director of the museum. “It’s going to be a campus of 68 units of affordable artist-preference housing. 1-2-3-bedroom apartments. It will also have shared studio and rehearsal spaces and an exhibition gallery.”

“The vision is to take advantage of these beautiful old buildings, to take advantage of Fitchburg’s assets,” said Marc Dohan, executive director of NewVue Communities which is developing the site.

He believes this project will help the local economy by “getting more creatives into the community” and “more people living and working right close to downtown.”

The Fitchburg Arts Community is one part of a strategy to grow the economy.

For example, Fitchburg State University took over a theater on Main Street.

“What we’ve decided kind of collectively here in Fitchburg is that part of the way forward is reclaiming our mantle as the regional center for the arts and culture,” said Capasso. “Just this year in Fitchburg alone we’ve had seven new restaurants open on Main Street in formerly empty storefronts.” Affordable housing for artists could be a blessing for people like Nick Nogueira, a freelance photographer who grew up in Fitchburg but got priced out of the city.

“It’s tricky. A lot of us freelancers don’t know when our next check is going to come.”

Nogueira thinks artists can add a good vibe to the downtown area and allow the city to take advantage of an untapped resource.

“It’s good to know the city kind of has our back especially a city like Fitchburg with so many great artists. You may not know it, but there is a good artists hub in the area.”

Dohan and Capasso believe converting an old mill town into a cool destination is already showing signs of lifting the city up.

Capasso added that this rejuvenation will also help local companies with workforce attraction and retention. “We’re not saying arts and culture are going to solve all of our economic problems, but it’s an important and actually necessary part of the puzzle because people don’t want to live and work in cities where there’s nothing interesting to see, do, or engage with.”

The price tag for the project is $45 million.

It took about 10 years of planning before construction could start.

The units should be available for occupancy in early 2025.

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A school in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, that has intensive programs for students with disabilities is asking for help.

The Keystone Educational Collaborative won a state-of-the-art gait trainer to help kids who have trouble moving around, but time is running out before they have to return it.

Since coming here, she's a whole new kid," mom Kayla Morgann said about five-year-old Mia McGann. "This poor little girl has gone through more surgeries than I have in my entire life. Yeah, she's had open hip reduction three times. She's had club feet repaired several times, tubes three times."

That's what brought Mia to the Keystone Educational Collaborative, where she was introduced to the Trexo gait trainer.

"It’s life-changing," Morgann said. "It's teaching her how to walk."

Lead physical therapist Amanda Costella said that gait trainers are basically fancy walkers that take multiple staff members to operate, but the Trexo takes it to a different level.

"It's a robot, it's an exoskeleton," Costella said. "It attaches to the user and it moves their legs through the gate cycle for them to lay down that pathway so that they can learn how to walk."

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It's already made a difference for two-year-old Myles LeBlanc, who suffers from a rare neurodevelopmental disorder.

"He went from doing like 100 steps," Kaitlin LeBlanc said. "He did a thousand steps one day."

The Trexo has a lot of special features, like uploading progress right into an electronic tablet.

“We'll start to see 10% initiation, 20% initiation, 30% initiation. So it tells us how much they're contributing to the process," Costello said.

It's been an amazing gift for students and surprise for the school when they won the gait trainer for one year at no cost in a Trexo contest giveaway.

The problem now is that the lease is coming up and in order to keep it, they need $75,000. The school doesn't have that funding, and is asking for donations.

"I desperately want to keep it," Costello said.

"Mia needs this," McGann said. "And unfortunately, health insurance doesn't cover it, so we can't get one at home."

If you want to donate to help, you can visit the school's website here.

FITCHBURG, MA–Fitchburg State University will launch a new Master of Science in Construction Management program next year, building the state’s capacity in a critical professional field, the university announced on its website.

The fully online program will be offered through the university’s Engineering Technology Department and the School of Graduate, Online and Continuing Education. The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education approved the new program this fall.

This new graduate program will expand opportunities and streamline pathways in a critical workforce area for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, according to Fitchburg State President Richard S. Lapidus.

“Our program will provide professionals with the comprehensive academic and technical skills necessary for them to meet the needs of regional, national, and global industries,” President Lapidus continued. “This innovative program builds upon the strong foundation of our Engineering Technology Department, which has evolved for more than a century to respond to changing workforce needs.”

The online program will prepare students to manage complex construction projects and enhance their decision-making processes; provide pathways to students to advance into the field of construction management from related disciplines and/or prior construction experience; provide employers with a well-educated and skilled workforce, capable of performing valuable construction management services and ready to serve in managerial and leadership positions; and contribute to scholarly activity in the discipline. Students, who may complete the program in as few as three semesters, will graduate ready to meet the workforce needs of the construction industry.

Dr. Nirajan Mani, the Engineering Technology Department Chair and the founding program chair for the M.S. in Construction Management program, noted that Fitchburg State is the first state university in Massachusetts to offer such a graduate degree.

“We are uniquely prepared to provide this program in national and international markets,” Mani said. “We are also planning to offer an accelerated 4+1 pathway from B.S. to M.S. in the Construction Management program. In addition, the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) through portfolio option allows students the opportunity to have their industry experience evaluated as educational experiences and credited toward a graduate degree.”

The Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts, Inc. (AGC MA), a statewide trade association representing almost 200 construction managers, general contractors, subcontractors and affiliated service providers, endorsed Fitchburg State’s proposal to the Board of Higher Education.

AGC MA Chief Executive Officer John Ferrante described his organization’s long history of collaboration with Fitchburg State and said the program will support students as well as the state’s commercial construction industry.

“There are fewer than 10 universities in New England offering construction management programs for an industry that puts in place over $10 billion of work annually,” wrote Ferrante. “Currently, there is a disparity between the demand for project management professionals in our industry and the availability of talent. We consistently hear that some of the most successful construction management firms are turning down opportunities to bid because they do not have the management capacity to take on additional work.”

Ferrante said AGC-MA’s member companies have a backlog of work through 2025 which, coupled with the anticipated retirement of many industry professionals, will only exacerbate this issue. “Many of our member firms hire individuals without any construction experience or education because of the need for management professionals,” he continued.

The construction management master’s program developed by Fitchburg State will provide the only such public credential in the state, helping rising professionals advance in their careers.

WALTHAM, Mass. – MassDevelopment has issued a $17,820,000 tax-exempt bond on behalf of 2Life Leland LLC, an affiliate of 2Life Communities, which will use bond proceeds to demolish a vacant former rest home at 21 Newton St. in downtown Waltham and build a three-story, 68-unit affordable rental housing facility for seniors in its place.

Built in 1891, the existing building operated as The Leland Home before its closing in 2020. The new building, which will be known as Leland House, will include 66 one-bedroom apartments and two two-bedroom apartments. The property will also include two one-bedroom apartments for overnight staff. Brookline Bank purchased the bond, which helped 2Life Communities achieve a lower cost of capital.

Leland House will be constructed to Passive House building standards, including 100% electric HVAC and hot water systems and solar photo voltaic panels to promote economic, environmental, and health benefits for residents. Universal design elements – especially in bathrooms and kitchens – will enable new residents to age in community at Leland House regardless of physical ability. The ground floor will house an active Village Center, which will feature a collection of flexible spaces for fitness and wellness activities, arts and culture programs, and community events.

“All seniors deserve housing that is affordable, safe, and allows them to age healthily in their communities,” said Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Ed Augustus. “I recently had the opportunity to attend the groundbreaking for the new Leland House in Waltham, a project that epitomizes the type of transformative development that is possible when state, local, and private partners come together to address our housing shortage.”

“This property has been a place dedicated to the care and comfort of seniors across three centuries of Waltham’s history,” said MassDevelopment President and CEO Dan Rivera. “Now, as Massachusetts faces a housing shortage, we’re excited to help 2Life Communities build a new senior living community that keeps this legacy alive while also incorporating modern design standards that make for a healthier and more sustainable living experience.”

In addition to the tax-exempt bond, MassDevelopment assisted the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities with the approval of federal low-income housing tax credits that will provide approximately $17.5 million in equity for the project.

“We couldn’t be happier to have been able to help provide this much-needed, affordable housing for seniors in our community,” said Brookline Bank President and CEO Darryl Fess.

“On behalf of Ward 5 City Councilor Joseph P. LaCava, the Waltham City Council, Council on Aging and Senior Center staff, former Leland Home board and staff, and the Waltham Community Preservation Committee, I would like to thank MassDevelopment and 2Life Communities for their investment in new affordable housing in Waltham,” said Waltham Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy. “These 68 rental units, adjacent to the Waltham Senior Center, will provide much needed affordable senior housing. Thank you to all who played a role.”

“We are grateful for our continued collaboration with MassDevelopment, and all of our partners, to help us bring more affordable apartments to older adults living in Waltham,” said 2Life Communities Vice President and Acting CEO Lizbeth Heyer. “2Life believes that every older adult deserves the opportunity to live a full life of connection and purpose in a dynamic, supportive community.”

2Life Communities Inc. is a nonprofit provider of senior supportive housing in the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1965, 2Life has developed 10 distinct properties and nearly 1,446 apartments, all of which are owned and managed by the organization. Properties located in Newton include Golda Meir House, Golda Expansion, and Coleman House. Properties located in Brighton include Ulin House, Leventhal House, Kurlat House, Weinberg House, and the soon-to-be-completed JJ Carroll House. Other properties include Shillman House in Framingham, Brown Family House in Brookline, and Shirley Meadows in Shirley.

MassDevelopment has previously supported 2Life Communities. In 2023, the agency issued a $129 million tax-exempt bond to help 2Life Communities build Opus Newton, a 174-apartment senior living community in Newton targeted to middle-income adults aged 62 or older. In 2021, the agency issued a $4 million tax-exempt bond to help 2Life Communities build a 13,000-square-foot addition to its program center facility located at 28 Wallingford Road in Boston.

MassDevelopment, the state’s development finance agency and land bank, works with businesses, nonprofits, banks, and communities to stimulate economic growth across the Commonwealth. During FY2022, MassDevelopment financed or managed 356 projects generating investment of more than $1.69 billion in the Massachusetts economy. These projects are estimated to create or support 11,080 jobs and build or preserve 1,778 housing units.

BOSTON– Bergmeyer, Boston-based design collaborative with offices in Columbus, and Los Angeles, announced its leadership and practice promotions as 2023 comes to a close.

Highlighting the diversity of the organization’s talents and expertise, the firm continues to expand its creative services to meet the needs of its deepening client base.

“The team at Bergmeyer is comprised of exceptionally talented individuals with remarkably unique creative and technical abilities,” said Rachel Zsembery, President at Bergmeyer. “Our people are the heartbeat of our Design Collaborative and fuel Bergmeyer’s continued success and evolution through embracing proactive partnerships and an empowering approach to design.”

At the leadership level, Bergmeyer elevated two team members into its Associate tier, as well as two Senior Associates, one Associate Principal, and one Principal. These forward-thinking individuals are recognized for their impact on others inside and outside the firm.

Associate:

Joe Vecchione, AIA | Associate, Senior Architect Quinn Levine, AIA | Associate, Senior Architect

Senior Associate:

Jason Cohen LEED AP | Senior Associate, Design Practice Leader JJ Nelson | Senior Associate, Director of Brand Communications

Associate Principal:

Rachel Lanzafame, AIA, LEED AP BD+C | Associate Principal

Principal:

TJ DiFeo, LEED AP | Principal

In addition to significant leadership advancements, Bergmeyer announced Design Practice Leader promotions for team members who demonstrate significant expertise in their dedicated areas of practice. These candidates practice with purpose and creativity, innovating the firm’s approach to projects, practices, and collaborations.

Design Practice Leaders:

Dan L’Esperance, AIA | Associate, Design Practice Leader Anna Butterfield, IIDA, NCIDQ | Associate, Design Practice Leader

Bergmeyer also recognized advancements at the Senior Practitioner level. These candidates exemplify a level of professional expertise worthy of special recognition, regularly demonstrating expertise in their work and collaborative approach with teams and clients.

Senior Practitioners:

Steven Barron, IIDA, Senior Interior Designer Lettie Ramos, Senior Designer Maria Montas, Senior Designer.