Home Care In Hopedale, MA

During its hey-day in the early to mid-20th century, the Draper Corp. in Hopedale was the country’s leading manufacturer of power looms for the textile industry and employed more than 3,000 people.

A centerpiece of the town’s history, the 80-acre, 1.8 million square-foot complex has sat vacant for four decades and redevelopment plans have hit roadblocks in recent years, but last week’s announcement by Hopedale Properties, LLC, which has owned the site since 1990, that the former Draper factory would be fully demolished, is a major step forward for the revitalization project.

“We are definitely moving forward,” said Philip Shwachman, principal of Hopedale Properties, LLC, and First American Realty Inc. of Worcester. “This is a big commitment in terms of time and expense for our staff, as well as others that are involved.

“We are optimistic for the future prospects of this key development site in the heart of Hopedale and very pleased with the enthusiastic support from local residents and community leaders alike,” Shwachman said.

In August, Hopedale Properties announced that a 250,000 square-foot section of the Draper property that posed significant structural and environmental concerns to the redevelopment efforts would be torn down, and that wing, located on the south side and closest to Town Hall, has been totally demolished, Shwachman said.

Since abatement and demolition began, new structural concerns were identified in the remaining portions of the complex, which led to the decision for full demolition.

Another 25% of the building’s square footage, along Freedom St., has been fully abated of asbestos, Shwachman said.

“The asbestos that was remaining was primarily roof flashings, window caulking and glazing,” Shwachman said, “so all the windows are removed and portions of the roof trim are gone. That was recently completed.”

Shwachman anticipated a demolition permit for that section to be issued soon.

The abatement and demolition at the site is expected to be completed by the end of June.

“That’s our schedule,” Shwachman said.

In planning redevelopment of the property, Shwachman has been working with the Worcester Business Development Corp. on a master planning process for the last year and a half.

“They’re a very talented group,” Shwachman said, “and we’re looking for their assistance and participation and visioning and master planning for the re-use of the site.”

Among WBDC’s numerous noteworthy projects are the Mercantile Center, the former Telegram & Gazette building at 20 Franklin St., the Central Building, the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, and the Voke Lofts, all in Worcester.

“We certainly look at projects that are a little bit more on the difficult side,” said WBDC senior project manager Julie Holstrom, “that normal market developers wouldn’t necessarily take on for any number of reasons, being environmental, historic, you name it, and that’s really why I believe Mr. Shwachman contacted us to take a look at this property because this is something that, yes, we have seen in the past and have had to make those hard decisions of, ‘Do you keep going with a study?’ or ‘Let’s look at all these different avenues of how a property can be re-used,’ or ‘What are the final uses that can be there?’ That’s certainly what we’ve done in the past.”

The Draper Corp. operated out of the site for about 130 years, and Shwachman said he hoped to preserve some of the historic property.

“That’s why we let it stand for so long,” he said, “even though some of the buildings were fairly deteriorated even when we got them.”

Craig Blais, president and CEO of the WBDC, said the decision for Hopedale Properties to pursue complete demolition of the property did not come easily.

“It’s not an easy decision to tear down a building that has such history in a community,” Holstrom added, “but I think when you look at what the future potential holds, it can be great, while also looking at ways to honor the history that’s there. I think that is something that Phil is very keen to do, maintaining the historical nature, memorializing the Draper complex.”

Initial findings from a market study, Holstrom said, identified a number of potential uses, including multi-family and senior residential, industrial/flex space, and open space.

In addition to the WBDC’s work, the town of Hopedale is working with the Central Massachusetts Planning Commission to complete a comprehensive update of the community’s master plan, documenting the community’s needs and how they can be addressed.

“This redevelopment initiative has been a long time in the making,” Hopedale town administrator Diana Schindler said, “and just as Draper Company was a vital component of Hopedale’s economic past, the town is excited to be partnered with Hopedale Properties, WBDC and CMRPC to vision and plan for an even more diverse, equally vibrant future, even in the face of these unprecedented times.”

HOPEDALE - A 6-year old Hopedale girl has been diagnosed with a disease so rare her parents were told a doctor who has treated three patients with it is considered an expert.

Her name is Scarlett Hubsch. She's a preschool student at Bright Beginnings Center.

"She greets everyone, every day, with a giant smile and a giant hug," said Kristen Poisson, the school's principal.

Scarlett's parents say she used to run, jump, play, and speak full sentences when she was younger. But, that started to change three years ago when Scarlett had a seizure at dinner.

"We didn't know what to do," said Gina Hubsch, Scarlett's mother.

Initially told she had epilepsy, further testing revealed Scarlett had a rare nervous system disorder called Batten disease.

"Even our doctor was crying when she told us because it was a terminal diagnosis," said Jason Hubsch, Scarlett's father.

"Basically your kid kind of dissolves right in front of you," said Gina.

Scarlett's parents learned she would soon lose skills she had already gained like the ability to walk and talk on her own.

"I say that I grieve the child I had yesterday every day," said Gina. "Because whether it was a good day or a bad day, I'm not going to have that same kid again. So, it is a very slow progression."

The family moved from Texas to Hopedale in hopes of finding a treatment for Scarlett that could at least slow that progression at Boston Children's Hospital.

What they found in the meantime was a community that's truly embraced their 6-year old.

"What this school alone has done for my child, and for me as a mom," said Gina Hubsch. "To know that she's not gone. She's still there, and other people are recognizing it. That's all I could ask for as a mom."

"She has taught our young students so much about acceptance and inclusion," said Poisson. "Scarlett has been such a gift to the school this year."

Scarlett's family has embraced a mindset of making the most of every moment they get with their little girl.

"We couldn't hide away in our house and just cry over our child," said Gina. "We're making as many memories as we can. We're telling as many people as possible about her. We're letting people get to know her."

"That's the name of the game," said Jason. "Let's give Scarlett the best life we can while we can."

Scarlett's support system at her school, who call themselves Scarlett's Tribe, celebrated the 6-year old with a "Scarlett's Tribe Day" Tuesday before she graduates to kindergarten.

For more on Scarlett's story, visit her website.

Nick Giovanni

Nick Giovanni is a weekend anchor and general assignment reporter for WBZ-TV.

Twitter Facebook

Janet Grant, age 92, passed away peacefully on November 1, 2023, after a period of declining health. She was born on November 6, 1930, to the late Burleigh Lapworth and Thelma (Shea) Shaw. A cherished member of her family, she was predeceased by her siblings, Sandra Sundin and Ronald Lapworth.

Janet was a lifelong learner who valued education. She earned her Bachelor's Degree and used her knowledge to inspire countless students during her tenure of over 25 years as a school teacher in Northbridge. Janet's dedication to education was matched only by her devotion to her family. She was the loving mother of Paula Gorman and her husband Dennis of Oklahoma, Thomas R. Grant and his wife Laura of North Attleboro, and Leslie Wright and her husband Bradley of Bellingham.

Blessed with a large and loving family, Janet took great joy in her role as a grandmother and a great grandmother. She was the proud grandmother of Gregory Gorman, Alison Knight, Derek Nava, Sierra Nava, Tammie Saunders, and Rachel Lanci. Her love and wisdom continue to be a guiding force in the lives of her great-grandchildren, Christopher, Gregory Jr, Benjamin, Lillian, Rowan, Aurelia, Wesson, Brooklynn, Luke, and Logan, along with several nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews

Janet was an active and respected member of her community. She was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Hopedale and sang in the church choir for many years. She also lent her voice to the Mendon Senior Center adding a touch of harmony to many events. Her faith and love of music were constant sources of joy and inspiration in her life.

Beyond her professional and community commitments, Janet had a zest for life and a wide range of interests. She was a voracious reader, always eager to learn something new or lose herself in a well-told story. She was also a lover of puzzles, a hobby that kept her mind sharp and provided countless hours of enjoyment. Janet had a keen interest in current events and was always ready for a lively discussion or debate. She relished the simple pleasures of life, like enjoying lunch with friends and spending quality time with her grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Janet’s name may be made to: Hopedale Unitarian Church, 65 Hopedale Street, Hopedale, MA 01747.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, November 11 at 12 PM at Hopedale Unitarian Church, 65 Hopedale Street, Hopedale, MA 01747 followed by a collation in the church hall. www.bumafuneralhome.com

Published in The MetroWest Daily News, Milford Daily News

BOSTON - A powerful wind and rain storm knocked out power to over 260,000 customers in Massachusetts on Monday.

By 11 p.m., there were 180,000 outages, with National Grid reporting more than 116,000 while Eversource had more than 65,000 customers still without power in Eastern Massachusetts.

Pepperell, Hopedale, Plainville, Millis, Marshfield, Easton, Halifax, Hanover, Rehoboth, Cohasset, Scituate, Mendon, Duxbury, Plympton, Millville, Newbury, Southbridge, Norwell and Carver were some of the hardest-hit towns according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency power outage map.

In Scituate, emergency management officials said 99% of the town is without power and full restoration could take up to 72 hours.

"At 8:30 this morning we had 30 people without power, and we were feeling pretty good about ourselves," said Scituate Town Administrator Jim Boudreau. "And then between 9:30-10:30 the storm just revved up and everything just started going down."

Schools in town will be closed Tuesday, and residents who are looking to stay warm or charge their devices can go to the senior center, town library or town hall.

"It's going to be a long process because we have to have crews come out and actually check the lines before they can reenergize those areas," Boudreau said.

Police and fire departments around Massachusetts warned drivers of hazards in the road caused by the damaging wind gusts. In Braintree, the storm brought down overhead traffic lights at Five Corners.

And in Upton, police said Mendon Street was closed after a tree fell onto powerlines and a passing car. No one was injured in the incident.

The Wayland Fire Department posted that wires fell on a school bus on Loker Road. Everyone was able to get out safely. The Weymouth Public Schools superintendent said schools would be dismissed early after a half day because of power outages across the district.

Other reports from weather spotters said there were trees down in Boston, Haverhill, Westport, Dartmouth, Carver, Hingham, Bridgewater, Canton, Hingham, Spencer, Fairhaven, New Bedford, Rochester and Mendon.

Some trees crashed through houses and cars. And some drivers got trapped when they tried to drive through flooded roads.

The high winds also caused a temporary ground stop at Logan Airport in Boston, Massport told WBZ-TV.

Gusts throughout much of the state reached between 40 mph to 60 mph. At Blue Hill Observatory, meteorologists reported a hurricane-force wind gust of 90 mph, setting a new record for the date.

In New Hampshire, there were about 50,000 customers without power and Gov. Chris Sununu urged drivers to avoid flooded roadways.

Neal Riley

Neal J. Riley is a digital producer for CBS Boston. He has been with WBZ-TV since 2014. His work has appeared in The Boston Globe and The San Francisco Chronicle. Neal is a graduate of Boston University.

HOPEDALE — The town is in the process of deciding whether to grant a special permit to a Boston commercial real estate developer that wants to build a giant distribution center on Plain Street.

The Zoning Board of Appeals is reviewing a proposal from GFI Partners that calls for construction of a 616,875-square-foot warehouse and distribution center at 75 Plain St. The building would be constructed on property that is currently home to Rosenfeld Concrete Corp. and across from Hopedale Airport, with the back side of the property abutting the Hopedale Country Club.

The application was first submitted to the Planning Board in September, which led to a lengthy site plan review process as the town evaluated the proposal. GFI is constructing a similar, but smaller, project at 300 Financial Park Drive in Franklin.

If the Hopedale project is approved, Rosenfeld Concrete's operations would be relocated — the company, a unit of Boston Sand & Gravel Company, has an existing plant in Walpole.

The Hopedale property eyed for development sits on 141 acres within the town's Groundwater Protection District, due to its proximity to the community’s well fields. That has led residents to express concern that it will have a negative environmental impact. Other resident concerns include increased noise and traffic, as well as the sheer size of the proposed building, which would be about three times the size of an average Walmart.

“There is nothing like this project on Plain Street. If we were building something like what is on the property already, my wife and I wouldn’t come (to speak out),” said Plain Street resident Mike Hyland during a public hearing on June 15. “I don’t believe that when this street was built, that people would envision that they would have to share that space with a 600,000-square-foot distribution space, with I don’t know how many 18-wheelers running around the clock.”

The building site would contain 139 loading spaces, 206 trailer parking spaces, 300 passenger car spaces and an expansion area for 100 trailer spaces, according to the proposal. A traffic study performed on behalf of the town suggested that the average number of weekday vehicle trips to and from the property would total 1,074.

The Planning Board has approved GFI's application, 3-1, and recommended the ZBA to approve a special permit. Planning Board Chair Stephen Chaplin, Jimmy Khokhar and Michael Costanza voted in favor of the project, with Kaplan Hasanoglu opposed. The fifth Planning Board member, Christopher Cody Chase, did not vote, although it is unclear why.

According to Town Administrator Diana Schindler, because the public hearing process could not be very informative until the site plan review was approved, the town and GFI agreed to extend the public hearing process to the next ZBA meeting on July 20.

In its decision on site plan, the Planning Board stated it was confident that any negative impact from the building would be mitigated, and would not be any more damaging than any other development built at the former concrete batch site.

“The advantages of the proposed use, as conditioned, outweigh any detrimental effects, and such detrimental effects on the neighborhood and the environment will not be greater than could be expected from development which would occur if the site plan were denied,” the decision states.

GFI projects that the building would be assessed at more than $34 million, which would lead to more than $1 million per year in additional property tax revenue to the town. The distribution center is also expected to create about 300 jobs in the community.

In addition to Franklin, GFI has also redeveloped a 735,000-square-foot industrial facility in Devens.