Worcester Business Journal

4 Worcester Business Journal | May 15, 2023 | wbjournal.com C E N T R A L M A S S I N B R I E F V E R B AT I M Community Healthlink closures "If management had been responsive to the workers, perhaps we wouldn't be here." Khrystian King, councilor-at-large for the City of Worcester, said at a May 2 rally by the SEIU Local 509 union, where laid-off workers from behavioral health provider Community Healthlink were rebuffed in an attempt to deliver a letter to executives at UMass Memorial Health in Worcester over the closure of three CHL substance abuse programs following a surprise inspection by the Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Addiction Services. The same day UMass Memorial confirmed the CHL closures, it said CHL President Tamara Lundi would resign on May 5. Leominster apart- ment conversion "34 Tremaine has sat vacant for over 15 years and this project will bring much-needed market-rate housing to a downtown location while revitalizing a historic mill building in desperate need of rehabilitation." Dan Botwinik, owner of Boston developer Cougar Capital Management, which on May 3 received a $2.75-million MassDevelopment loan convert an abandoned mill building in Leominster into 17 market-rate apartments Chairman & CEO "We have observed Bob's clear passion for the company in the boardroom as well as through the successful execution of our long-term vision. We believe that Bob's role as chairman and chief executive officer will further strengthen the collaborative relationship between management and the board." Robert Steele, the lead independent director for the board of Marlborough retailer BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, said May 4 about company President & CEO Bob Eddy becoming chairman of the firm. Pictured is Eddy. BY TIMOTHY DOYLE WBJ Staff Writer C ambridge-based drug manufacturer Moderna, Inc. has purchased a 140,000-square-foot biomanufacturing facility at 149 Hayes Memorial Drive in Marlborough. Moderna will build out the facility, anticipating it will complete construc- tion in June 2024 with an anticipated opening in September 2024, according to a tax-increment financing applica- tion submitted to the Marlborough City Council on April 20. e project will add 60,000 square feet to the max- imum build out and is expected to cost more than $322 million. e facility will house office and mRNA manufacturing space. e buildout will include a full manu- facturing clean room environment, quality control lab space, a just-in-time satellite warehouse and offices, accord- ing to the application. e company indicated its intention to maintain a minimum of 200 perma- nent full-time jobs by 2026 at the facil- ity, according to the application, which was first reported on by Community Advocate. Moderna requested a 20-year tax exemption in which it would pay no real property taxes until fiscal 2028 with the rate of exemption gradually decreasing over time. e TIF was reviewed by the Marlborough City Council Finance Committee at its May 1 meeting, according to Execu- tive Director Meredith Harris of the Marlborough Economic Development Corp. e facility at 149 Hayes was developed by Toronto-based Oxford Properties Group in partnership with e Gutierrez Co. of Burlington. e $91-million property sale was com- pleted on April 27, according to the Middlesex South Registry of Deeds. National real estate firm JLL, which has a Boston office, represented the seller in the transaction. e undevel- oped property was purchased by the developers in September 2021. Moderna is a biotechnology and pharmaceutical firm specializing in mRNA technology. It was one of the two main companies that created and distributed a COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic. e company employs 3,900 people worldwide and has Massachusetts locations in Cam- bridge, Norwood, and Burlington. e company has 48 products in the development pipeline. In addition to infectious disease vaccines, Moderna is using its technology to research cancer treatments, cardiovascular diseases, and autoimmune diseases. Moderna expanding to Marlborough, investing $322M in biomanufacturing facility PHOTO | WBJ FILE W Moderna has purchased a new Marlborough biomanufacturing facility. PHOTO | COURTESY OF JLL

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