Worcester Business Journal
@wbjournal.bsky.social
Your business news source for Central Massachusetts. Available in print, online, and in person.
BREAKING: Devens-based Commonwealth Fusion Systems is teaming up with two global tech firms in an effort to accelerate the commercial adoption of fusion energy, as the company shared an update on the development of its first fusion energy machine.
Commonwealth Fusion teams with world’s most valuable company to use AI to advance fusion tech
CFS says the use of this digital twin will help accelerate its efforts to commercialize fusion energy, the same source of energy powering the sun.
wbjournal.com
January 6, 2026 at 4:35 PM
BREAKING: Devens-based Commonwealth Fusion Systems is teaming up with two global tech firms in an effort to accelerate the commercial adoption of fusion energy, as the company shared an update on the development of its first fusion energy machine.
Split across two separate sites and proposals, Spagtacular’s plans call for the construction of five apartment buildings, a supermarket, restaurant spaces, a car wash, a bank, and other retail uses.
wbjournal.com/article/long...
wbjournal.com/article/long...
Long-dormant Spag’s warehouse planned to be part of major Shrewsbury development
A former warehouse utilized by defunct discount department store Spag’s makes up part of a large Shrewsbury site proposed for major redevelopment. Spagtacular LLC, an entity managed by…
wbjournal.com
January 6, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Split across two separate sites and proposals, Spagtacular’s plans call for the construction of five apartment buildings, a supermarket, restaurant spaces, a car wash, a bank, and other retail uses.
wbjournal.com/article/long...
wbjournal.com/article/long...
The congregation held its last service at the building on Dec. 7.
After more than two centuries of ownership, West Boylston church sold for $1.2M
The site used for worship since the 1790s will continue to be used as a church under its new ownership.
wbjournal.com
January 5, 2026 at 9:15 PM
The congregation held its last service at the building on Dec. 7.
The extension will see Fallon Health sponsor the ballpark’s Americans with Disabilities Act accessible seating through 2028.
Fallon Health extends corporate sponsorship of WooSox
Seven years after the Worcester Red Sox secured Fallon Health as a founding sponsor in September 2018, the baseball team has signed a three-year partnership extension with the Worcester-based…
wbjournal.com
January 5, 2026 at 8:15 PM
The extension will see Fallon Health sponsor the ballpark’s Americans with Disabilities Act accessible seating through 2028.
"A defining trend heading into 2026 is the technology transformation reshaping community banking’s competitive landscape," writes Brian Westerlind, president & CEO of Auburn-based bank Webster Five.
Viewpoint: Economic dynamics in Central Mass. are strong
Brian Westerlind, president and CEO of Webster Five bank, sees a sturdy local economy heading into 2026.
wbjournal.com
January 5, 2026 at 7:15 PM
"A defining trend heading into 2026 is the technology transformation reshaping community banking’s competitive landscape," writes Brian Westerlind, president & CEO of Auburn-based bank Webster Five.
Athol Savings will operate under its current name and will keep all five of its branches open in Athol, Ashburnham, Barre, Winchendon, and Gardner.
Cornerstone Bank completes $2.4B merger with Athol Savings
Cornerstone Bank and Athol Savings Bank signed off in 2025 by finalizing their anticipated merger, with the latter officially becoming a division of the Worcester-based institution, effective Dec. 31.
wbjournal.com
January 5, 2026 at 5:45 PM
Athol Savings will operate under its current name and will keep all five of its branches open in Athol, Ashburnham, Barre, Winchendon, and Gardner.
Boston-based GFI Partners has proposed a 197-unit modular apartment building for Worcester’s Canal District, a plan which would bring more development and residents to the area surrounding the Polar Park baseball stadium.
wbjournal.com/article/deve...
wbjournal.com/article/deve...
Developer plans 197 apartments near Polar Park on Madison Properties’ land
The project falls inside Worcester’s district improvement financing area around Polar Park.
wbjournal.com
January 5, 2026 at 5:07 PM
Boston-based GFI Partners has proposed a 197-unit modular apartment building for Worcester’s Canal District, a plan which would bring more development and residents to the area surrounding the Polar Park baseball stadium.
wbjournal.com/article/deve...
wbjournal.com/article/deve...
The recommendations follow three months of negotiations among advocates, labor representatives and state officials.
Working group targets meal prep, overtime for cuts from $1.7B personal care attendant program
Charlie Carr, legislative liaison for the Disability Policy Consortium and a working group member, said the proposed savings reflect an effort to make limited reductions without undermining the core…
wbjournal.com
January 2, 2026 at 8:15 PM
The recommendations follow three months of negotiations among advocates, labor representatives and state officials.
This DPH investigation is the latest in a string of investigations the agency has launched into Saint Vincent’s after the hospital’s nurses completed the longest nurses strike in Massachusetts history in 2022.
DPH finds Saint Vincent back in compliance following staffing investigation
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has deemed Saint Vincent Hospital back in compliance with staffing requirements, after an investigation found the Worcester hospital failed to maintain a…
wbjournal.com
January 2, 2026 at 7:15 PM
This DPH investigation is the latest in a string of investigations the agency has launched into Saint Vincent’s after the hospital’s nurses completed the longest nurses strike in Massachusetts history in 2022.
The transaction comes as part of a larger, multi-year effort by residents to stave off redevelopment of the site and preserve it as affordable housing.
wbjournal.com/article/brai...
wbjournal.com/article/brai...
Braintree firm buys 114-unit housing complex in Ayer for $32M, working with tenants to preserve housing at site as affordable
A New Hampshire-based firm wanted to redevelop the site, but residents pushed back.
wbjournal.com
January 2, 2026 at 5:08 PM
The transaction comes as part of a larger, multi-year effort by residents to stave off redevelopment of the site and preserve it as affordable housing.
wbjournal.com/article/brai...
wbjournal.com/article/brai...
Next year will see a deepening of the role community colleges play in the higher education industry.
2026 Economic Forecast: Community colleges step up in the higher ed industry
Next year will see a deepening of the role community colleges play in the higher education industry.
wbjournal.com
December 30, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Next year will see a deepening of the role community colleges play in the higher education industry.
Beginning on Thursday, regulators will review Massachusetts cannabis cultivators seeking license renewals to determine whether to relegate licenses to a lower tier.
Cannabis growers using less than 70% of licensed cultivation space could be downgraded to lower limits
If the Cannabis Control Commission determines that a licensee has sold less than 70% of what the licensee produced during a review period, then the commission may reduce the licensee's maximum canopy…
wbjournal.com
December 30, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Beginning on Thursday, regulators will review Massachusetts cannabis cultivators seeking license renewals to determine whether to relegate licenses to a lower tier.
Massachusetts secured about $162 million in federal dollars Monday to bolster rural health care, part of the first round of funding released in a five-year program.
State receives $162M from feds for rural health
Asked how Massachusetts plans to deploy the new funds, a spokesperson for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services said state officials "just received the notice" and are reviewing it.
wbjournal.com
December 30, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Massachusetts secured about $162 million in federal dollars Monday to bolster rural health care, part of the first round of funding released in a five-year program.
Matthews said the sale price set a record for Spencer multifamily properties which contain less than 40 units.
Spencer townhouses sold for $4M to Vermont firm
An 18-unit, townhouse-style apartment property in Spencer has been purchased by a Vermont-based firm for $4.03 million. The property, located at 0 Townhouse Court off of Route 9, sold in […]
wbjournal.com
December 30, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Matthews said the sale price set a record for Spencer multifamily properties which contain less than 40 units.
Election officials are reviewing nearly 150 boxes of signatures submitted by campaigns, and as many as 12 questions could be presented to voters in November 2026.
Lawmakers seek more transparency on funding for ballot initiatives
Facing a potentially crowded and costly 2026 ballot cycle, lawmakers advanced legislation to tighten disclosure rules for ballot question campaigns and reveal who’s funding them.
wbjournal.com
December 30, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Election officials are reviewing nearly 150 boxes of signatures submitted by campaigns, and as many as 12 questions could be presented to voters in November 2026.
The 66,682-square-foot retail building at the roughly 6.6-acre site was constructed in 2024.
Site of Shaw’s in Worcester sold for $31M
Fidelity Investments in Boston is now the owner of the site of a Shaw’s supermarket in Worcester, after buying the property for $31 million. An entity managed by Fidelity purchased […]
wbjournal.com
December 29, 2025 at 7:30 PM
The 66,682-square-foot retail building at the roughly 6.6-acre site was constructed in 2024.
The deal is still subject to ratification by the union’s membership and the ECHL Board of Governors, but the tentative agreement will allow for players to report back to their teams and prepare to return to play.
Union representing Worcester Railers and other ECHL players reach tentative agreement with league to resume play
The ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association announced late Saturday that the two parties had reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement.
wbjournal.com
December 29, 2025 at 5:45 PM
The deal is still subject to ratification by the union’s membership and the ECHL Board of Governors, but the tentative agreement will allow for players to report back to their teams and prepare to return to play.
Despite this overall sentiment, the plurality said they anticipate the local economy will improve in 2026.
wbjournal.com/article/ecof...
wbjournal.com/article/ecof...
EcoForecast survey: For first time since 2020, WBJ readers say the economy is in worse condition than a year ago
For the first time since 2020, the majority of Central Massachusetts business leaders who responded to WBJ’s annual Economic Forecast survey said the region’s economy is in worse condition than it…
wbjournal.com
December 29, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Despite this overall sentiment, the plurality said they anticipate the local economy will improve in 2026.
wbjournal.com/article/ecof...
wbjournal.com/article/ecof...
In the midst of the holiday season, John Quirk of VIP Tires & Service writes about the importance of corporate giving.
Viewpoint: Without community giving, business community Is a failure
"Let’s commit to giving even more in the years ahead," John Quirk, executive chairman of VIP Tires & Service, writes.
wbjournal.com
December 23, 2025 at 9:20 PM
In the midst of the holiday season, John Quirk of VIP Tires & Service writes about the importance of corporate giving.
"Identifying the key areas of future growth in Central Massachusetts and investing in supporting those industries, and developing a shared vision for expanding housing are two issues that can and should be tackled."
Editorial: Create a regional economy for everyone
The best possible outcome for the Central Massachusetts economy is one that helps industry thrive, spurs innovation, encourages outside investment, attracts the best talent, and provides a great…
wbjournal.com
December 23, 2025 at 8:20 PM
"Identifying the key areas of future growth in Central Massachusetts and investing in supporting those industries, and developing a shared vision for expanding housing are two issues that can and should be tackled."
MassDevelopment is looking for developers to build more housing on 69.3 acres of available land in Devens, part of a wider effort to use the former U.S. Army base to increase the state’s supply of housing.
Devens seeks developers to build on 69 acres
The MassDevelopment request for proposals seeks to build on the regional enterprise zone’s growth through the development of two separate sites for residential uses.
wbjournal.com
December 23, 2025 at 6:15 PM
MassDevelopment is looking for developers to build more housing on 69.3 acres of available land in Devens, part of a wider effort to use the former U.S. Army base to increase the state’s supply of housing.
Players for the Worcester Railers may be trading in their hockey sticks for picket signs on Friday, as the union representing players across the ECHL intends to strike if a new collective bargaining agreement isn’t reached.
Worcester Railers players, rest of ECHL, set to strike on Friday if deal not reached
Salary levels, player safety, and travel requirements are among the topics of discussion during the negotiations.
wbjournal.com
December 23, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Players for the Worcester Railers may be trading in their hockey sticks for picket signs on Friday, as the union representing players across the ECHL intends to strike if a new collective bargaining agreement isn’t reached.
A property featuring a three-story, mixed-use building in Worcester has sold for $1.2 million to a Quincy-based landlord.
Following upgrades, developer sells Worcester property for triple 2019 sales price
The property at 340 Hamilton St., featuring first-floor retail space with four apartment units above, sold in a deal finalized on Friday.
wbjournal.com
December 22, 2025 at 7:30 PM
A property featuring a three-story, mixed-use building in Worcester has sold for $1.2 million to a Quincy-based landlord.
Marlborough medical device manufacturer Lifeward has named Bob Marshall as its new board chair,
Lifeward names pharmaceutical firm executive as new board chair
Marshall is CFO and treasurer at Lantheus Holdings, a publicly-traded pharmaceutical company based in Billerica.
wbjournal.com
December 22, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Marlborough medical device manufacturer Lifeward has named Bob Marshall as its new board chair,
Marlborough medical device manufacturer Lifeward has named Bob Marshall as its new board chair,
Lifeward names pharmaceutical firm executive as new board chair
Marshall is CFO and treasurer at Lantheus Holdings, a publicly-traded pharmaceutical company based in Billerica.
wbjournal.com
December 22, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Marlborough medical device manufacturer Lifeward has named Bob Marshall as its new board chair,