CENTRAL MASS. BY THE NUMBERS
51
Canal District regulars are familiar with a skinny, vacant building at 51 Harding St. that still advertises Goldstein Scrap Metal. Developers plan to bring new life to this property. The three-story building was purchased in June 2018 by Williston Development LLC for $275,000. According to documents submitted to the city in January, Williston Development plans to convert the building into a mixed-use property with 905 square feet of retail space on the ground floor; two one-bedroom apartments with one apartment on both the second and third floors; and a residential roof deck amenity space.
407
When Brunilda and Andrea Gramo took over Woosta Pizza in 2005, it was such an exciting time for the couple that even after 19 years of pizzas made and served, remember that their first day, Feb. 13, was a Sunday. On Wednesday, that memory tasted bittersweet, as the couple said they will close the doors for good on March 15, citing wavering foot traffic and increasing property expenses. The restaurant was started on Franklin Street by owner Michael Hill, who moved to 407 Main St., a few years after a McDonald’s moved out in 1997.
318
B.T.’s Smokehouse will no longer sell pulled pork and beef brisket during WooSox home games at Polar Park. B.T.’s started as a roadside barbecue shack at the Village Green Campground in Brimfield in 2007 before taking residence at 392 Main St. in Sturbridge. In 2020, B.T.’s Fried Chicken and BBQ opened at 318 Park Ave. In the WooSox inaugural season, B.T.’s set up shop at Polar Park with other local favorites, including the Wonder Bar and George’s Coney Island. “We were there on opening day,” co-owner William Nemeroff said. “We had a three-year contract with them. The contract ran out.”
375
A 375-unit Canal District apartment project that is a part of the city’s financial planning to pay for Polar Park is facing financing issues and is in search of a new developer. Last year, Quarterra Multifamily Communities submitted plans to redevelop the former Smokestack Urban Barbecue building at 139 Green St. and a portion of the former Table Talk Pies property on Washington Street. The blueprint called for an eight-story, mixed-use apartment complex with retail space and a seven-story parking garage. The city Planning Board granted a one-year extension of the project’s preliminary site plan to Feb. 1, 2025.
4
Four New York residents face several charges after allegedly trying to steal cables from a cell tower in West Boylston, presumably to later sell for scrap. The suspects, wearing hard hats, had hoped to come across as T-Mobile subcontractors, said Sgt. James Bartlett of West Boylston police. Verizon representatives told police that such work was never approved or allowed. The property is owned by the West Boylston Water District, who in turn leases it to a company that sublets it to Verizon, which leases it to T-Mobile. The four men were held without bail, pending arraignment Monday at Clinton District Court.