Tasked with helping the city craft a pitch to Hasbro, Kashalatouted the building’s location, which is visible from Interstate 95, centrally located in downtown, and is close to the new Pawtucket-Central Falls Transit Center that serves as a stop on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s commuter rail. Any redevelopment of the site, he said, would also complement the Tidewater Landing Redevelopment — the future home of the Rhode Island FC soccer club.
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Hasbro “could have a big symbolic presence,” said Kashala.
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The news comes a week after Hasbro executives confirmed that the company was exploring new options for its headquarters, which has been located in Rhode Island since its founding in 1923 by the Hassenfeld family. It’s one of the few publicly traded companies based in Rhode Island, and is the corporation behind classics like Monopoly, Nerf, Mr. Potato Head, Twister, and Play-Doh.
The company owns its 343,000-square-foot office on Newport Avenue in Pawtucket, which executives said they are ready to move on from for new digs in the Greater Boston area.
The exterior of Hasbro Inc’s headquarters in Pawtucket, R.I.Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
“Our Pawtucket building is full of charm and history, but it is also showing its age,” Christian “Chris” P. Cocks wrote in his message to employees on Sept. 16. Cocks said in that same message that any potential move wouldn’t take place “for at least 18 months” and that none of the details are final.
Hasbro executives have already toured multiple Boston office buildings and informally met with Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey’s office.
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Hasbro employs approximately 5,500 people globally, with roughly 1,000 based in Rhode Island. If Hasbro moved out of Rhode Island, it would dramatically shift Pawtucket’s economic landscape. Yet Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien was left out of Governor Dan McKee and Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi’s initial meeting with Cocks on Sept. 19.
In July, Pawtucket started soliciting bids from developers for what is known as the Downtown Gateway Project, which centers around the former Apex building. On Wednesday, the city is expected to announce that it received four proposals, which the city’s administration, planning, and commerce departments will begin reviewing next week, Pawtucket spokeswoman Grace Voll said.
The initial solicitation did not ask developers to envision the site to include Hasbro’s headquarters.
If the former Apex building is not razed, it’s not yet clear what the total investment would be for Hasbro to use the existing building. Kashala could not provide cost estimates or describe the conditions of the property.
As one of Rhode Island’s largest corporations, officials have previously attempted to court Hasbro to stay in Pawtucket.
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In 2018, when Hasbro executives considered renovating or completely vacating their headquarters in Pawtucket, Grebien made a similar pitch to Hasbro and the Pawtucket Red Sox (now the Worcester Red Sox) with the hope that both institutions would move their operations to the city’s downtown. City leaders wanted Hasbro to build a new office complex just beyond the outfield wall of a new PawSox stadium. The mayor’s presentation claimed that Hasbro becoming part of the greater ballpark redevelopment area could save the company up to $10 per square foot each year. Neither project ever came to fruition.
Under former governor Gina M. Raimondo, state officials had attempted to pitch the Industrial Trust Company Buildingin Providence (which is more commonly referred to as the “Superman” building) and the former I-195 land to Hasbro.
Over the last year, Hasbro has shaved down its local workforce, from 1,400 full-time employees in 2023 to 1,000 in 2024, and gave up the lease on its office in downtown Providence. In the last three months of 2023, Hasbro lost $1.06 billion.
In the state’s latest effort to keep the company in Pawtucket, Kashala acknowledges surrounding cities — including Providence — could begin a bidding war by handing out incentives or other forms of tax breaks.
“The goal should really be, how do we come together in this initial response where we take Hasbro leaving the state off the table,” Kashala said.
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Alexa Gagosz can be reached at alexa.gagosz@globe.com. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.
KINGSTON, R.I. (AP) — Rafael Castro scored 16 points as George Washington beat Rhode Island 75-67 on Wednesday night.
Castro shot 7 of 10 from the field and 2 for 4 from the line for the Revolutionaries (13-3, 2-1 Atlantic 10 Conference). Sean Hansen added 12 points while going 4 of 10 from the floor, including 1 for 5 from 3-point range, and 3 for 3 from the line while they also had five assists. Trey Autry went 4 of 8 from the field (2 for 5 from 3-point range) to finish with 10 points, while adding 10 rebounds.
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The Rams (12-3, 1-2) were led in scoring by Sebastian Thomas, who finished with 20 points, six rebounds and three steals. Quentin Diboundje added 14 points and seven rebounds for Rhode Island. Jaden House finished with 10 points.
George Washington entered halftime up 38-30. Castro paced the team in scoring in the first half with nine points. George Washington used a 12-2 second-half run to break a 61-61 tie and take the lead at 73-63 with 1:33 remaining in the half before finishing off the victory. Jacoi Hutchinson scored 10 second-half points.
George Washington plays Wednesday against Duquesne at home, and Rhode Island visits Richmond on Saturday.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Federal officials have announced a $2 million grant aimed at improving community connectivity and pedestrian safety in Providence’s urban core. The funding, provided through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) Grant Program, will support a study for multimodal transit improvements and new commuter connections in the city.
The initiative, led by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT), focuses on the “Connect Four: Bridging Providence’s Urban Core” project. The study will gather community input and analyze how to reunite neighborhoods divided by infrastructure projects, such as the construction of Interstate 95 (I-95) and Rhode Island Route 10 (RI-10).
“This new $2 million grant will help make roads safer, revitalize neighborhoods, and promote healthy and connected communities,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed. “RIDOT can use this federal grant to help remove roadblocks to transit access, improve mobility, and reduce traffic jams and pollution.”
The grant, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will also prioritize pedestrian and cyclist safety while addressing outdated infrastructure. “This latest round of federal funding will lay the groundwork to create new connections between Providence neighborhoods and make getting around our capital city easier and more efficient,” said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.
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Revitalizing Neighborhoods and Infrastructure
The project will evaluate the redesign of four key bridges spanning I-95 and RI-10 along Atwells Avenue, Dean Street, Washington Street, and Westminster Street. These bridges, which are slated for replacement under RIDOT’s 10-year State Transportation Improvement Program, will be reimagined with a “complete streets” approach to accommodate future needs.
“We will put these funds to work right away, incorporating a complete streets design for these new bridge projects to support the current and future needs of residents and visitors in Providence,” said RIDOT Director Peter Alviti, Jr.
RIDOT will also identify unnecessary ramp infrastructure for removal, creating opportunities for new development in areas previously occupied by highway ramps.
Restoring Communities
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The funding underscores efforts to address historic transportation decisions that disproportionately affected underserved neighborhoods.
“In Providence, working-class, majority-minority neighborhoods have been divided since the construction of the I-95 and RI-10 highways. With this $2 million federal investment, our delegation is accelerating efforts to restore communities through thoughtful growth,” said Senator Reed.
The RCP program, established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, supports projects that improve access to jobs, education, health care, and recreation in communities historically divided by infrastructure.
Economic and Community Benefits
The study is expected to lay the groundwork for enhanced public transit options and economic growth. “American households spend nearly 16 percent of their income on transportation, which can be a significant burden for low-income families,” RIDOT noted, emphasizing the broader economic implications of improved transit infrastructure.
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The charter school movement has mostly flown under the radar in Rhode Island politics in recent years, and that’s just how they like it. But 2025 could be an interesting year as one mayoral academy seeks to make a big change, other schools consider unionizing, and a potential new school goes back to the drawing board.
Here’s a look at the lay of the land.
A big change at RISE Prep
There are two kinds of charter schools in Rhode Island: Most are considered independents, but some are mayoral academies, which require a municipal chief executive to serve as chair of the board. Mayoral academies were spearheaded by Governor Dan McKee when he was mayor of Cumberland, and they have historically faced stronger push back from teachers’ unions because some of them are part of larger national or regional networks of charter schools (like Achievement First).
RISE Prep, a 3-star mayoral academy that admits students from Woonsocket, North Smithfield, and Burrillville, has been given the go-ahead to switch from a mayoral academy to an independent school. In its proposal, the school said the change “will mitigate instability and unpredictability,” both financially and politically.
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We know that teachers at Highlander Charter School and Paul Cuffee voted to unionize in 2024, and the state’s two teachers’ unions are engaged in conversations with other charter school teachers about joining, too. One big question is whether the incoming Trump administration will seek to roll back some of the rules set by President Joe Biden’s administration that made it easier to unionize.
The other key question is what kind of contracts the teachers at Highlander and Cuffee will get during negotiations this year. Highlander joined the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2323, and Cuffee’s teachers are now members of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals. If the unions can win favorable terms for their new members, other charter schools could follow.
New England Tech’s plans
The New England Institute of Technology was hoping to open a high school focused on career and technical education in September, but it faced resistance from organized labor and decided to pump the brakes on the proposal. The idea still has support at both the university and from Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green, but it could be difficult to open a new charter school that is opposed by labor in 2026 because it’s an election year.
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This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.
Dan McGowan can be reached at dan.mcgowan@globe.com. Follow him @danmcgowan.
