Business Matters: Central Mass. by the Numbers
$290,000
The new owners of the Blue Moon Diner are excited to continue the iconic Gardner eatery’s legacy of great food and nostalgic décor that has made it a favorite local breakfast and lunch destination. Robert and Kathleen Wright of Orange took over operations at the diner Sept. 8, following the retirement of Jamie Floyd, who owned and operated the restaurant for the last 22 years. The Wrights purchased the diner from Floyd for $290,000. The Wrights will retain the restaurant’s current employees, and, like Floyd, were planning on recruiting some of their own family members to help with the operation.
01757
Milford — ZIP code 01757 — was first settled by Europeans in 1662 and incorporated in 1780. Milford was a booming industrial and mining town in the 19th century due to its proximately to water sources and its large quantities of Milford pink granite. Today, its 14.9 square miles holds a population of roughly 30,400. According to realtor.com, 17 single-family homes are currently for sale in Milford. They range from a 1,147-square-foot, two-bedroom home listed for $299,000, to a 5,775-square-foot, six-bedroom home listed at $699,900.
80
Hopedale is edging closer to developing plans that will reshape the downtown of the small community in an unprecedented circumstance. Town officials are looking to formalize plans for what will become of the former Draper mill site, a massive 80-acre vacant lot that was once home to the 1.8 million-square-foot Draper factory. The goal is to rezone the area as a new downtown district and to encourage mixed-use development. The mill ceased operation in the mid-1970s, then sat idle for decades as different plans and proposals were considered. In 2021 the mill was demolished, leaving a massive vacancy in the downtown area of Hopedale, which encompasses just 5 square miles.
500
After rallying support for their unionization efforts on the Worcester Polytechnic Institute campus Monday, members of the WPI Graduate Workers Union walked into the administration building to file their union recognition paperwork. The group, which has been working with the United Auto Works Workers Region 9A, is looking to get an increase in wages, improved health care coverage, and workplace protection from harassment and bullying. In April, students began signing union authorization cards. After two weeks the group had 50% of the cards signed, and by week three 75%. The group has amassed more than 500 members since then.
$555,000
As the climb of mortgage rates continued through August, the real estate market was bound to see some effects. The latest report by the Warren Group found that fewer single-family homes were sold in Massachusetts last month than in any August since 2014. Compared to last year, there were 1,000 fewer homes sold statewide, a drop from 6,363 during August 2021 to 5,732 last month. The median price of single-family homes sold in August increased to $555,000 from $515,000 the previous year. There were 890 single-family home sales in Worcester County last month, down just slightly from 900 in August 2021.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Business Matters Central Mass. by the Numbers
