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Tasked with helping the city craft a pitch to Hasbro, Kashala touted 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.
Hasbro “could have a big symbolic presence,” said Kashala.
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.
“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.
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.
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 Building in 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.
Alexa Gagosz can be reached at alexa.gagosz@globe.com. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.
Local News
A Rhode Island husband and wife in their 50s were identified as the two people killed in a Swansea car crash Friday night.
Carlolyn Carcasi, 54, and James Carcasi, 53, of Bristol, Rhode Island, were killed in the Feb. 27 crash, the office of Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said in a press release Monday.
The crash occurred at the intersection of Route 136 and Route 6 in Swansea, Quinn’s office said.
Police in Cranston, Rhode Island identified the driver who allegedly hit the couple as Demitri Sousa, 28. Sousa allegedly shot and killed a man in Rhode Island nearly four hours before the crash, Cranston police said.
At around 12:18 a.m. Friday, Swansea police spotted Sousa’s Infiniti barreling down Route 6, Swansea officials said previously.
The couple was driving southbound on Route 136 when the Sousa crashed into the side of a Subaru Ascent. Both cars had “catastrophic damage,” and the Subaru was engulfed in flames, Swansea fire and police officials said.
Both occupants of the Subaru were declared dead at the scene, Swansea officials said.
Sousa was transported to a local hospital, where he is being treated for serious injuries. He is expected to live and will be held in Cranston police custody until he is medically cleared, police said Sunday.
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CRANSTON, R.I. (WJAR) — Women’s Fund of Rhode Island and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed celebrated Women’s History Month in Cranston with a panel discussion on Monday.
The event was held at the Cranston Public Library at 9 a.m.
Reed and other leaders of WFRI hosted a panel discussion with women leaders in environmental and agricultural advocacy, education, community resilience, housing, finance, workforce development, and more, officials said.
Women’s Fund of Rhode Island and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed celebrated Women’s History Month in Cranston with a panel discussion on Monday. (WJAR)
“Women have played a critical role in this process, most often without any recognition,” Reed said. “Today’s panel brings together an extraordinary group of women who are addressing the challenged of sustainability from various angles and I want to thank you all for your great efforts.”
The panelists highlighted their experiences, shared insights and tips on lifting up women’s voices, provided strategies for sparking change and more.
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According to officials, some of the panelists included Executive Director of the Rhode Island Food Policy Council Nessa Richman, Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives at Rhode Island College Kim Bright, Newport Housing Authority Executive Director Rhonda Mitchell and more.
Local News
A Seekonk man is accused of murder after he allegedly shot and killed a man in Rhode Island before causing a car crash in Swansea that killed two people last week, police said.
Demitri Sousa, 28, is charged with murder, using a firearm while committing a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license, the Cranston Police Department said.
The shooting occurred Thursday night in Cranston, police said in a press release.
That night, Sousa allegedly arrived at the Cranston home of Javon Lawson, 35. Sousa began banging on the side door of the home, police said.
When Lawson approached the door, he was hit by gunfire from outside, police said.
First responders transported Lawson to the Rhode Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Cranston police said.
“Based on the preliminary investigation, the motive is believed to be a dispute between the suspect and the victim over a mutual female acquaintance. Detectives are continuing this investigation to gain more insight, as well as to collect and analyze evidence,” Colonel Michael Winquist, Chief of Cranston police, said in an emailed statement to Boston.com.
Neighbors gave police video footage that “showed a male subject wearing dark clothing and a mask walking toward the residence moments before the shooting and fleeing immediately afterward,” Winquist said.
The suspect was also seen running to a white Infiniti sedan which then drove off, the Cranston police chief said.
Shortly after the shooting, a license plate reader captured the vehicle driving southbound on Route 10, and then later in Fall River and Westport, Massachusetts. The sedan’s license plate was registered in Sousa’s name, Winquist said.
At around 12:18 a.m. Friday, Swansea police spotted Sousa’s Infiniti barreling down Route 6, Swansea officials said.
Just moments later, Sousa allegedly “crashed into the side of another vehicle, a blue 2022 Subaru Ascent that had been traveling southbound on Route 136,” Swansea Police Chief Mark Foley and Fire Chief Eric Hajder said in a joint press release.
Both vehicles had “catastrophic damage,” and the struck car was engulfed in flames, the Swansea officials said.
The driver and passenger of the hit car — a man and a woman — were declared dead at the scene, they said.
“Swansea Police had been alerted to be on the lookout for the suspect vehicle. However, Swansea Police were not involved in the pursuit and were not pursuing the vehicle at the time of the crash,” the Swansea chiefs wrote. Swansea official have not announced charges related to the fatal crash.
Sousa had been driving the Infiniti and appeared to be suffering from serious injuries, Winquist said. Inside the car, police found a pistol and “additional .22 caliber ammunition was recovered” from Sousa at Rhode Island Hospital, Winquist said.
Police arrested Sousa and transported him to Rhode Island Hospital. Sousa is expected to survive, Winquist said. Sousa will be held in Cranston police custody until he is conscious and medically cleared, Winquist said.
“On behalf of the Cranston Police Department, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Javon Lawson and the two individuals who were killed in the crash in Swansea,” Winquist said.
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