Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | June 12, 2023 | Worcester Business Journal 7 T H E T I C K E R 1984 The year John Fan founded Westborough optical technology manufacturer Kopin, from which he retired as president and CEO in September and stepped aside as chairman on May 25 Source: Kopin 50.3 May score in the Central Massachusetts Business Confidence Index, showing the region's business leaders remain optimistic about the economy Sources: Associated Industries of Massachusetts, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce 263 Years since the original opening of Hitchcock Tavern in West Brookfield, which served President George Washington and John Adams. Owners Cindy and Roger Larson reopened the business on June 2. Source: Hitchcock Tavern $5.3 million Sale price of the Whitford Building and the Edwards Block on Main Street in Southbridge, purchased by Orlando-based investors Rajeev Tirur and Christopher Morgan Source: Worcester District Registry of Deeds 40,000 square feet Size of the new Northbridge biopharma manufacturing facility for Watertown-based EyePoint Pharmaceuticals that Boylston contactor RP Masiello broke ground for on May 24 Source: RP Masiello 12 Directors on the newly created board for the Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce, which was founded by local business leaders one year ago Source: Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce $200,000 Grant received by Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester to fund a training program for previously incarcerated individuals to re-enter the workforce in the food service industry Source: Office of State Sen. Michael Moore (D-Millbury) Spring 2024 Projected opening for patients at Milford Regional Medical Center's new satellite location in Medway Source: Milford Regional Medical Center In the $46-million program, funding will be distributed as reimbursement only aer pre-established commercial- ization milestones are achieved and verified by the DOE, according to the press release. While CFS did not detail how much it expects to receive, awards will be between $5 million and $25 million, according to the DOE's funding opportunity announcement. For the first 18 months of DOE's program, CFS milestones focus on its commercially relevant net energy fusion device, called SPARC. CFS milestones include manufacturing and testing its first fusion magnet for SPARC, launching a fusion community benefits program that includes strong commit- ments to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility and energy justice as part of that process, developing the design and technology roadmap for CFS' first commercial fusion power plant, and submitting its ARC physics papers. Baba Sushi owner seeks to build a five-story apartment complex Developer and restauranteur Wei- dong "Wilson" Wang has proposed a new residential and commercial development on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, at the site of a three-decker apartment building and parking lot. e project, at 393-397 Shrewsbury St., will bring 16 one-bedroom apart- ments and eight two-bedroom apart- ments to Shrewsbury Street along with 2,400 square-feet of ground-floor com- mercial space and 25 parking spaces. Two apartments will be handi- capped-accessible. e application does not mention any affordable income-re- stricted units, and since the application was submitted prior to the City of Worcester's inclusionary zoning policy, it is not required to have any. Wang, who is affiliated with the company that owns the property, 318 Park LLC, submitted an application to the Worcester Planning Board in April through a representative, Patrick Healy from engineering firm ompson-Lis- ton Associates of Boylston. Wang owns multiple properties throughout Central Massachusetts and owns the four Baba Sushi restaurants in Worcester, Sturbridge, Bolton, and Bristol, Rhode Island. e property holding company purchased the Shrewsbury Street lot in 2021 for $895,000 in two transactions, according to the Worcester District Registry of Deeds. If approved, the project will join the nearby redevelopment of the former General Screw Machine Product build- ing at 383 Shrewsbury St., a 28-apart- ment project under construction, and a newly-constructed mixed-use project featuring a hookah bar called Aelux Lounge at 316 Shrewsbury St. WBJ wins eight awards in journalism competition Worcester Business Journal has been honored by the New England Newspa- per & Press Association for coverage of diversity, equity, and inclusion issues, along with Polar Park, opinion com- mentary, editorial cartoons, and special sections on Worcester's 300th anniver- sary and the 40 Under Forty awards. WBJ received eight awards, including two first-place finishes, in NENPA's 2022 Better Newspaper Competition. Kane won First Place in the Com- mentary category for his opinion column "My son, in crisis" about his son's long stay at Boston Children's Hos- pital during a behavioral health crisis. Former WBJ staff writer Kather- ine Hamilton won First Place in the Social Issues Feature Story category for the "Barriers" article in the fih year of e Boardroom Gap series, detailing the obstacles women – and particularly women of color – face in moving into business leadership. In addition to Hamilton's First Place award, WBJ also won ird Place in the Social Issues Feature Story category with Correspondent Giselle Rive- ra-Flores winning entry "Unheard by the inner circle" story about how people of color oen aren't valued even when they are granted access to circles of power. WBJ Art Director Mitchell Hayes won two awards for his design work: Second Place in the Overall Design & Presentation of a Special Section category for the 2021 edition of the 40 Under Forty awards; and ird Place in the Event Special Section category for the 2021 edition of the 40 Under Forty awards. Kane and photographer Erika Sidor shared in this prize. Hamilton won a Second Place award in the General News Story category for her "Downsized" story about the impact of the shrinking of the proposed devel- opments around Polar Park. Former WBJ senior staff writer Monica Benevides won a Second Place award in the Racial, Ethnic, or Gender Issue Coverage category for her "Who tells the news?" story about the lack of women in top leadership positions at Central Massachusetts media outlets. WBJ cartoonist Ramon Sando- val won ird Place in the Editorial Cartoon category for his A ousand Words cartoon on the corporate profits of Saint Vincent Hospital's parent company. W The award-winning Feb. 7, 2021 edition

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