Worcester Business Journal

6 Worcester Business Journal | December 15, 2025 | wbjournal.com 50 Employees to be laid off at the end of January by Pennsylvania-based BeneCare Dental Plans, which is closing its Worcester office after a contract with the state was ended prematurely Source: Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act filing 1655 Boston Road Springfield location of the first store Marlborough-based BJ's Wholesale Club will open in Massachusetts in 13 years Source: BJ's Wholesale Club 16% Drop since November 2024 in the Massachusetts Business Confidence Index, which has reflected pessimism in the economy for most of the last year Source: Associated Industries of Massachusetts Sales price of the 72-unit Flats at Merrill Pond apartment complex in Worcester, sold by FPA Multifamily to an entity managed by Bechara Fren, the landlord who owned the Mill St. apartment complex when the roof collapsed Source: Worcester District Registry of Deeds $14 million million, with the plan to convert the site to faculty transitional housing. e colleges' trustees purchased the property at 50 College St. in a deal final- ized on Nov. 21 from Michael and Lisa Livsey, according to Worcester District Registry of Deeds records. e 8,400-square-foot parcel con- tains what was originally a three-family house built in 1895, according to City of Worcester property records. Holy Cross already owns the adja- cent residential property at 52 College St., along with eight other parcels in the roughly-triangular space between College Street, Clay Street, and Boyden Street. e property at 50 College St. will remain on the City's tax rolls, said Holy Cross Director of Public Relations Nico- leta Jordan. e 2024 purchase of two Worcester hotels by Worcester Polytechnic Institute amplified ongoing debates over the impact on the City's tax income when higher educational institutions and other nonprofits expand with property purchases. Nonprofits generally do not have to pay property taxes, although Worcester's colleges have reached payment-in-lieu agreements for some properties they've purchased, including an eventual deal reached over the WPI hotel purchases. is debate led to a non-binding question on November's municipal election ballot, asking voters if they supported requiring private colleges and universities to invest 0.5% of their endowments annually into a community impact fund. e question passed with a 74.8% of the vote, but the City would need support from the state legislature in order to make such a policy a reality. e property has been used as off-campus student housing since the 1970s, Jordan wrote in an email to WBJ. e school will honor existing leases through next year, before converting the property for use as transitional housing for new faculty. e owners of the property had ap- proached the school with an offer to sell, with those conversations lasting three months before the eventual sale, Jordan wrote. Bar arcade opens in Downtown Fitchburg Power Surge Bar Arcade has opened its doors in Downtown Fitchburg, bring- ing some life back into a 148-year-old building and offering patrons a chance to play video games of yesteryear and today. Located at 347 Main St., Power Surge Bar Arcade celebrated its grand opening on Nov. 8, aer having first announced the concept in 2024. Part of a growing trend of business capitalizing on nostal- gia towards cabinet arcade games and pinball, the venue also offers modern console video game tournaments and karaoke nights. Games at Power Surge include classics like 1982's "Ms. Pac-Man" and 1985's "Super Mario Bros.," as well as more recent hits, like 2002's "Dance Dance Revolution Extreme" and 2009's "Guitar Hero." e venue offers a menu of specialty cocktails, beer, and pizza. Power Surge Bar Arcade is open seven days a week, 5 p.m. through 1 a.m. Mon- day through ursday, 5 p.m. through 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 12 p.m. through 7 p.m. on Sunday. e venue is 18-years-or-older Monday through ursday, 21+ on Friday and Saturday, and open to all ages on Sunday. e opening of Power Surge is part of a renovation of the building at 347 Main St. which also includes construc- tion of apartments on the upper floors, and comes amid a longer and broader effort to revitalize the former mill city's Downtown. UMass Memorial searches for first-ever chief of medical management UMass Memorial Health is adding a new management position to its team, as the Worcester-based hospital system is searching for its inaugural chief of medical management. UMass Memorial posted the job list- ing for a senior medical director, chief of medical management on both its website and Indeed. "is position is responsible for shaping clinical policies, enhancing recruitment and retention efforts, and fostering collaboration among health- care providers, administrative staff, and external stakeholders," said the posting. e position is the first of its kind for the hospital system, said Kristy Lee, media and public relations manager at UMass Memorial. e system didn't pro- vide any additional information on the role or the reason for its creation. e system is offering between $280,000 and $320,000 for the position, whose objective is to provide clinical leadership and strategic planning in order to assure UMass Memorial attracts and retains talent while providing high-quality medical care patient safety, according to the posting. UMass Memorial is searching for a candidate who has graduated from an Continued from previous page 25 Acres in the Wayland development purchased for $35.75 million by Chicago-based investment firm Northpond Partners, a price nearly 50% lower than its last sale in 2015 Source: Middlesex South Registry of Deeds 43% Over-the-year drop in funding raised by Milford Regional Healthcare Foundation's annual Mélange 2025 Gala and Live Auction. This year's gala raised $740,000 compared to the $1.3 million raised in 2024. Source: Milford Regional Healthcare Foundation $25 million Pool of funding five Central Massachusetts colleges and universities now have access to as the state begins the second year of its Behavioral Health Workforce Scholarship Program. Source: Office of Gov. Maura Healey Sales prices of the property housing McGovern's Greendale Liquor and Package Store, founded by Congressman Jim McGovern's father, Walter McGovern. The business was sold in a separate transaction. Source: Worcester District Registry of Deeds $1.03 million

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