Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | October 10, 2016 | Worcester Business Journal 7 WRTA opens $90M operations facility The Worcester Regional Transportation Agency held its grand opening for its new $90-million mainte- nance and operations facility on October 4 on Quinsigamond Avenue in Worcester. "It's an essential ingredient for con- tinuing to move people here in the city," WRTA Executive Director Jonathan Church said ahead of remarks from local and state officials such as Congressman Jim McGovern (D-Massachusetts). The newly constructed 156,000-square-foot facility at 42 Quinsigamond Ave. replaces a facility that was constructed in 1928 as a trolley barn and had been converted to a tran- sit facility for the organization after World War II. The new facility will allow for inter- nal circulation and storage for the Worcester bus system, boosting all- weather operations, according to the WRTA. The location also features nine bus maintenance bays. The total cost for the project was approximately $90 million, which included funds for environmental reme- diation thatseemed to grow at every turn. Manufacturer secures space for $8M expansion Worcester's Curtis Industries has signed a 163,000-square-foot lease to serve as the jumping-off point for an $8-million expansion. The company specializing in enclo- sures for small recreational and work vehicles like the Polaris Ranger signed a lease at 70 Hartwell St. in West Boylston recently. The company will occupy an existing 53,000 square-foot building as well as a built-to-suit 110,000 square-foot addition, accord- ing to The Stubblebine Company/ CORFAC International that represent- ed the landlord D & S Realty LLP. The addition will be completed by July of next year. The company is investing $8 million in its expansion project, according to a release from the Baker administration highlighting a 13-year TIF valued at $803,000 from West Boylston the project. Couple charged with de- frauding Staples of $1.4M A Georgia couple has been charged with carrying out a scheme that report- edly defrauded Framingham-based Staples of more than $1.4 million. It was announced by the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney's Office that John Douglas, 46, was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud. His wife, Analyn Douglass [sic], 41, was separately charged with conspiracy to ship stolen goods in interstate commerce. According to the Attorney General's Office, the Douglases and others engaged in a complex scheme to defraud Staples of more than $1.4 mil- lion worth of customer loyalty rewards. John Douglas allegedly created more than 1,100 Staples rewards accounts, and used a computer script to amass more than $889,000 worth of rewards in small increments, often less than a dollar at a time. W Knowledge + Experience + Trusted Advice. It all adds up. Large enough to serve the needs of most businesses and individuals; small enough to offer the personal attention you expect and deserve. Greenberg, Rosenblatt, Kull & Bitsoli, PC Certified Public Accountants 306 Main Street, Suite 400 • Worcester, MA 01608 508.791.0901 • www.grkb.com Looking for a host offering Four Diamond hospitality in a central, convenient location? Well... Offering space for 5 to 300 guests, world-class cuisine and Central Massachusett's only AAA Four Diamond approval rating, we host exceptional meetings and dinners of all sizes. Let's meet. 363 PLANTATION ST • WORCESTER • 508.754.5789 • BEECHWOODHOTEL.COM R E A L D E A L Real Deal highlights recent commercial property transactions in Central Massachusetts. Commercial real estate firms that want to submit information on transactions can send it to editorial@wbjournal.com. Source: Source: New Dover Associates — Compiled by Sam Bonacci, Worcester Business Journal Digital Editor ADDRESS: 890 Hartford Turnpike, Shrewsbury AREA: Approximately 316,511 square feet of living space SALE PRICE: $60.5 million SELLER: AvalonBay Communities BUYER: Audubon Capital Partners The now Audubon Shrewsbury apartment complex features 251 units in a variety of one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom homes as well as two-bedroom townhomes with an average apartment home size of 1,261 square feet. The development that was built in 2006 is located on Route 20, less than a quarter mile from the intersection of Route 9 and Northborough Crossing. Polaris Ranger

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