Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | August 21, 2023 | Worcester Business Journal 5 WRA selects Menkiti for $113M Denholm redevelopment e Worcester Redevelopment Au- thority voted 2-0 on Aug. 10 to approve the Menkiti Group's plan to demolish the Denholm Building at 484-500 Main St. in Worcester and replace it with a 10-story mixed-use complex. At its July meeting, Worcester Chief Development Officer Peter Dunn announced that his department would recommend the Washington D.C. devel- oper's plan over the six-story proposal from Stamford, Connecticut-based RMS Companies. Approval by the board was delayed in that meeting by concerns voiced by board member David Minasian over the Menkiti's choice of general contractor, Maryland-based Bozzuto Construction, because of alleged improprieties by subcontractors of the firm. Minasian is regional manager for the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters Local #336 Worcester. Bozzuto Vice President Brian Rennie assured the board during the virtual meeting that Worcester's Responsible Employer and Inclusionary Partic- ipation Policy policy is written into subcontractor agreements and will be adhered to. e project's REIPP adherence will be reviewed by the WRA because of its current ownership of the land. REIPP reporting is otherwise only used in projects receiving tax breaks from the City. Minasian's concerns about allegations of wage the against Bozzuto subcon- tractors were not addressed in the Aug. 10 public meeting. North Central chamber named national Chamber of the Year e North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce has won the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives 2023 Chamber of the Year award, the first chamber in New En- gland to win the honor. "We are very proud to bring this award home to our region and to the Commonwealth," North Central Chamber President & CEO Roy Nascimento said in an Aug. 9 press release from the chamber. "is B R I E F S We're reducing work-from-home policies On Aug. 8, the company that has had one of the biggest roles in the move to remote work -- California tech company Zoom -- is requiring its employees to return to the office, as part of a hybrid working model. This followed Massachusetts' largest law firm, Boston-based Ropes & Gray, announcing at the end of July it would be requiring employees to work from the office four days a week starting in the fall, following increasing chatter in the corporate world about a new return-to-office push as the summer comes to an end. When polled online, of the WBJ readers who previously let employees work remotely, the plurality said they are now modifying their policies to include more in-office work. Has your company implemented, or does it plan to enforce, any new in-office work requirements this year? F L A S H P O L L 7% Not yet, but we plan to increase in-office time requirements before the end of the year. Yes, we modified our in- office policy from earlier in the COVID pandemic. 35% No, we always required our employees to work at our facilities. 26% No, we will still allow employees the option to work where they wish. 33% Continued on next page To learn more, contact: Peter Staiti SVP, Commercial Lending Center Manager 100 Front Street, Worcester, MA | 508.769.5725 Peter.Staiti@RocklandTrust.com Member FDIC Wholesale/Distribution Facility $750,000 Northborough, MA Hotel Acquisition $5,700,000 Auburn, MA Multi-Family Investment Real Estate $1,325,000 Fitchburg, MA Industrial Investment Real Estate $13,500,000 Auburn, MA Industrial Development $4,000,000 Worcester, MA Convenience Store & Real Estate Acquisition $337,500 Worcester, MA Two-Family Residential Investment Real Estate $360,000 Worcester, MA Liquor Store $300,000 Westborough, MA A Local Partner, Financing Businesses Across Worcester County

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