Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | June 25, 2018 | Worcester Business Journal 5 B R I E FS Worcester Club elects first woman president For the first time in its 130-year his- tory, the Worcester Club has named its first woman president: Moira Moyni- han-Manoog. e club, founded in 1888, announced its new officers in June, including Moynihan-Manoog, a firm principal at MSW Financial Partners in Worcester. BJ's IPO could value company over $2B Westborough bulk retailer BJ's Wholesale Club is anticipating selling 37.5 million shares for between $15 and $17 in its initial public offering, a price valuing the firm at over $2 billion. e date has not been set for the IPO. BJ's filed to go public last month in a bid to again be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, as it was before it was brought private by CVC Capital Partners for $2.8 million in 2011. Notre Dame group appeals judge's denial A group of citizens trying to prevent the demolition of the Notre Dame Des Canadiens church will appeal a judge's decision to deny the group's injunction against the property owner. e Save Notre Dame Alliance has appeal Worcester Superior Court Judge Gavin Reardon's ruling that denied the group's request for a temporary injunc- tion to halt the church's demolition. e group warned that property owner CitySquare II will commence demolition at its own risk if it chooses to do so pending the appeal. Save Notre Dame Alliance is also floating another option: saving only the outer shell, like the Old Stone Church in West Boylston. Manufacturer buys Sterling building for $5M Gardner manufacturer of plastics for medical use Biomedical Polymers is opening a 79,000-square-foot facility in Sterling aer purchasing the building for $5.1 million last month. e facility is nearly three times larger than its current 24,000-square-foot building on Linus Allain Ave. in Gardner. Worcester YWCA eyes $23M renovation YWCA of Central Massachusetts has kicked off a campaign to raise funds for a $23.4-million renovation project of its downtown Worcester facility. e building has only had one partial renovation done since it was built in 1961. Renovations will seek to correct problems with infrastructure systems, security and optimizing the space in the 74,000-square-foot building. WPI brings on Care.com founder Donna Levin, the co-founder of online babysitting and nannying service Care.com, has been named to the newly created position of executive director of innovation and entrepreneurship at Worcester Polytech- nic Institute. Levin comes to WPI from the Mas- sachusetts Institute of Technology, where she is an en- trepreneur-in-resi- dence at the Martin Trust Center. She begins at WPI on July 1. Worcester creates proposal for cannabis HQ e Worcester Redevelopment Au- thority has authorized the submission of a lease proposal to a state department for the Cannabis Control Commission's new headquarters. e WRA voted unanimously in June to work with Worcester-based Nault Ar- chitects to create a lease proposal with the state board tasked with regulating the legal retail marijuana industry. e city is not making the proposal public until a decision is reached. City Chief Development Officer Michael Traynor in April told the WRA he is preparing a response to the CCC's request for proposal for at least 13,000 square feet of office space in Worcester, possibly in or near Union Station. Art helps the economy e City of Worcester is seeking artists to provide cultural placemaking for an $11-million redevelopment of Main Street. e project, dubbed Main Street Reimagined, will incorporate public art features into the construction, which already includes bigger sidewalks and bike lanes. When polled online, WBJ readers overwhelming said public art helps the city, with more than half saying it directly aids the economy. F L AS H P O L L Do you think Worcester's public art helps the city's economy? No. I don't like the art and think it disincentiv- izes people from coming to the city Yes. The art actively attracts visitors and new residents. 53% "Art is at the heart of a community!" COMMENTS: "I've personally given tours of some of the Pow! Wow! Worcester murals to people walking around the city looking for them who had come to Worcester specifically, either by car, bus or train, to see the murals and to meet the artists. Anytime I meet an out-of-town friend, our meal is always followed by a [mural] trip." "A city with an interesting and beautiful environment will attract people, and they will spend more money in the city." Yes. But while the art provides the city with much needed visual appeal it has little direct economic impact. 33% No. The art is just window dressing. 11% 2% T H E T I C K E R $5,000 Scholarships to be offered by Becker College for student athletes in its esports varsity program Source: Becker College Massachusetts' unemployment rate in May 3.5% Source: Mass. Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development $623 million Source: Gov. Charlie Baker's office A life sciences bond bill signed by Gov. Charlie Baker to provide funding for education, research and development and workforce training for the industry. A grant amount from the Federal Aviation Administration for pavement improvements at Worcester Regional Airport $1 million Source: U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern's office Moira Moynihan-Manoog, at the former men-only door outside the Worcester Club Donna Levin, WPI executive director of innovation and entrepreneurship W

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