Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | Novermber 13, 2017 | Worcester Business Journal 5 Mergers & Acquistions in Worcester? YOU BET! Since 1981 Worcester, MA | (508) 753-1400 www.georgeandco.com Time to expand your company? We can help. B R I E F S Emergency pay depends on the situation Framingham retailer TJX is continuing to pay its employees in the company's 29 Puerto Rico stores after the island was devastated by Hurricane Maria. Much of the island remains without power and it's unclear how many of the company's stores on the island are closed, but the company says "It is the right thing for us to do under these circumstances," even though many of the employees aren't working. When polled online, WBJ readers said they would like to do the same for their employees, although it would depend on the situation. F L A S H P O L L Milford plaza with $20M redo gets tavern, pet store Milford Crossing, which has under- gone extensive renovation since nearly all its tenants left in recent years, has added a Red Heat Tavern restaurant and a Pet Supplies Plus to its list of tenants. A site plan uploaded to New York City developer RD Management's web- site this month shows Red Heat Tavern opening in the former 5,984-square-foot Bugaboo Creek space and Pet Supplies Plus opening in a 6,000-square-foot extension of the same building. Dollar Tree and Salon Centric will remain in the same building. Construction to renovate the plaza, which totals $20 million, began in July. Stop and Shop, which is currently located just down the street in the Quarry Square Shopping Center, said it plans to move to the plaza this fall and take the former Kmart space. HomeGoods and TJ Maxx, also locat- ed in Stop and Shop's current plaza, will follow the grocer to Milford Crossing. All three stores will occupy the main 114,000-square-foot building. Kmart closed in 2014, followed by Bugaboo Creek and World Gym in 2016. The large plaza directly off of I-495 had been nearly vacant since then until RD Management remade the site. Other tenants slated to take space in a planned 20,000-square-foot building are Starbucks and Chipotle, though 15,000 square feet still remains vacant. Continued on next page Webster • Dudley • Oxford • Auburn • Worcester • Shrewsbury Keeping her customers' accounts safe and secure while efficiently managing their funds. At Webster Five, your success is important to us. Whether you're a small start-up or a large corporation, we offer all the financial tools, resources and progressive services you need to succeed. Make an appointment and tell Anjena what's important to you. Visit web5.com/Anjena or call 508.438.4716. What's important to Anjena? Anjena Kuzdzal, Business Services Officer KHJ23479_WEB-374_BuisLender_4.3x5.5_Anjena_Mech2.indd 1 3/31/17 11:38 AM Would you keep paying your employees in a desperate situation, even if they weren't actively working? Maybe. It would depend on the specific situation and the specific employee. 46% Yes. We take care of our people even when life throws them a curveball. 32% "You would think my employees owned the company the way they put their heart and soul into this firm. I would take care of them if they were in a desperate situation." COMMENTS: After Kmart and World Gym left, Milford Crossing was remade for modern tenants. No. We would like to but we just can't afford it. 14% "I would hope we would take care of our people with full pay and benefits if they were in a cata- strophic situation but at the very least continue their benefits." "We run a restaurant, and so margins are slim and getting slimmer. Just can't afford to pay when no money is coming in the door." 8% No. Employees get paid for working.

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