Worcester Business Journal

4 Worcester Business Journal | May 18, 2026 | wbjournal.com Assumption University to take over Anna Maria nursing program Assumption University in Worces- ter plans to absorb Anna Maria Col- lege's nursing program following the Paxton school's closure later this year. Anna Maria announced its impend- ing closure in late April, citing financial difficulties. e school's academic operations will end following the current spring semester, with plans to fully shutter by the end of the academic year. e nursing program merger with Assumption is still in the planning stages, with both schools intending to submit a proposal to regulatory agen- cies. e Massa- chusetts Board of Registration in Nursing will need to approve the merger. To accommo- date a potential influx of students, Assumption says it would expand its nursing program's capacity. Anna Maria nursing students would be able to continue their studies uninterrupt- ed, pending approval of the plan. "Our focus is simple: students who have begun their education should be able to complete it without disruption," Assumption President Greg Weiner said in a statement. "We are prepared to provide a home for Anna Maria nursing students and to support them in continuing their studies with clarity, stability, and purpose." AG fines contractor $220K at redevelopment of The Bridge community center e Massachusetts Attorney Gen- eral's Office has fined a Woburn-based subcontractor $220,000 over labor violations at the construction site of the former e Bridge Academy and Community Center. Donizetti's Tile Services was fined for failure to pay overtime, failure to furnish suitable pay slips, misclassifica- tion of employees as independent con- tractors, failure to permit employees to earn and use sick time, and failure to keep true and accurate payroll records, according to an email from the Office of the Attorney General. e violations stemmed from work at 300 Southbridge St., a former textile factory that later became the site of e Bridge Acad- emy and Commu- nity Center. e site now is being redeveloped into a 21-unit apartment building. A total of 14 employees were impacted by the viola- tions. e fine was issued on April 22, aer the attorney general's Fair Labor Division Construction Field Team con- ducted a compliance visit in July 2025. Donizetti's Tile Services declined to comment for this story. e company is led by Donizetti De Oliveira. e fine was first revealed in a social media post from Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell on May 1. "My office was doing a routine site inspection of a Worcester construction site when we learned the workers had been misclassified as independent con- tractors," Campbell wrote on Bluesky. "is meant the workers were wrong- fully denied protections, overtime & leave." Boston-based Dalfior Development originally planned to redevelop the three-story building, but the site was purchased for $1.9 million in February 2025 by an entity managed by Renato Valentim, owner of Woburn-based Valentim Real Estate, according to City of Worcester property records. e firm lists 300 Southbridge St. as a project on its website. Valentim is the founder of the Shrewsbury-based Tavern in e Square restaurant chain. e firm did not return requests for comment. Polar Beverages adds Worcester warehouse to 1.4M-sq.-ft. Mass. footprint Polar Beverages is expanding its presence in its home city of Worcester with the lease of 35,000 square feet in a Quinsigamond Village warehouse. e space at 149 Greenwood St. will be used to support Polar's main manu- facturing site in Worcester, said David Harding, vice president of real estate and faculty management. at site is about a five-minute drive away at 1001 Southbridge St. With the addition of the Greenwood Street space, Polar now has 12 proper- ties in Worcester and Auburn. e firm has additional locations in Chicopee and Bridgewater, bringing its Massa- chusetts footprint to 1.4 million square feet. $1.9 billion Price that Italy-based Chiesi Group paid to acquire KalVista Pharmaceuticals in Framingham, as Chiesi works to enhance its U.S. presence and reach $7 billion in annual sales by 2030 Source: Chiesi Group $13.5 million Money spent by Marlborough laser manufacturer IPG Photonics to settle litigation in the first quarter, including two patent disputes with German manufacturer TRUMPF. Source: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission $11,000 per month Rent the Worcester Redevelopment Authority is seeking for the restaurant and event space in Union Station, as WRA seeks to replace Maxwell Luciano's. Source: City of Worcester Length of lease The Bra Shop signed in the Central Exchange Building at 303 Main St. in Downtown Worcester, after the retailer had operated as a pop-up shop on a temporary basis.. Source: The Bra Shop Five years Assumption President Greg Weiner Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell

• Cover