Rhode Island

I-195 commission OKs $1 sale offer for Hasbro HQ. They haven’t talked to the company yet. • Rhode Island Current

Published

2 years ago

November 7, 2024

I-195 commission OKs sale offer for Hasbro HQ. They haven’t talked to the company yet. • Rhode Island Current

Rhode Island leaders have been accused of dropping the ball on efforts to keep Hasbro Inc. from moving to Massachusetts.

On Wednesday night, a state panel took matters into its own hands, approving a legally binding resolution offering the toymaker exclusive rights to buy a 1-acre plot of land southeast of downtown Providence for $1. The only problem? They haven’t talked to Hasbro yet.

“We wanted to show them how committed and serious we are,” Marc Crisafulli, chairman of the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission, said during the meeting.

The commission unanimously approved the agreement, which gives Hasbro up to six months — with two additional six-month extensions — to buy the empty land adjacent to the downtown pedestrian bridge.

None of the company’s executives attended the meeting. Andrea Snyder, a spokesperson for Hasbro Inc., declined to comment specifically on the proposal.

“It’s early and we continue to explore options,” Snyder said in an email Thursday.

Hasbro executives have been in talks with Massachusetts officials since at least April over a potential move across state lines into Boston, as first reported by the Boston Business Journal on Sept. 16. Company CEO Chris Cocks has indicated in a series of internal emails that the company’s Pawtucket headquarters is outdated, expressing desire for “modern” and “collaborative” space with accessible public transit. Ahead of a relocation decision — expected in early 2025 — Rhode Island officials have scrambled to come up with a way to keep the century-old company, and one of the top employers, rooted in the Ocean State.

The former state highway land, home to an explosion of commercial and residential development, quickly emerged as a top alternative.

The I-195 commission’s vote specifically offers up the 1-acre site known as Parcel 42. Originally slated to host a controversial, luxury residential skyscraper, the land remains empty after the “Fane Tower” developers pulled out of the project in March 2023.

But, if Hasbro has its eyes on other available space within the district, the commission is open to that too, Crisafulli said.

Mock designs presented by Utile, a Boston-based design consultant, show a 10-story, 286,000-square-foot building, complete with designated manufacturing space, a museum and a two-level underground parking garage with 150 spaces.

Tim Love, founding principal of Utile, said the renderings were not intended as a final design or concept but merely a “test run” to see if the site could fit Hasbro’s needs.

The company’s existing, circa-1900 industrial space on Newport Avenue is 300,000 square feet. Pawtucket Mayor Don Grebien’s office has previously indicated his desire to keep Hasbro in Pawtucket.

Grace Voll, a spokesperson for Grebien, said the city is “in the process of finalizing” its own pitch to Hasbro.

“Despite the vote in Providence yesterday, we still remain confident that Pawtucket is a viable option for Hasbro, and we look forward to presenting them with their options in the City that they have resided in for the last 60+ years,” Voll said in an email Thursday.

Hasbro was founded in 1923 in Providence as a family-owned pencil-box maker, relocating its headquarters to Pawtucket in 1968. Now a publicly traded, multinational company with 5,000 employees — at least 1,000 of whom work out of Rhode Island — the game and toy empire generated $223 million in profits for the three months that ended Sept. 29, its most recent financial report.

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Rhode Island

Star-studded cast of ‘My Boyfriend is a Demon,’ filming in RI, released

Published

3 hours ago

May 14, 2026

Press Room

Star-studded cast of ‘My Boyfriend is a Demon,’ filming in RI, released

A new horror movie titled “My Boyfriend is a Demon” is currently filming in Rhode Island.
The film follows a lonely girl whose fake Instagram boyfriend materializes in real life.
The cast includes children of famous actors, such as Mattias Ferrell and Coco Arquette.
Veteran actors David Arquette and Rosanna Arquette are also part of the ensemble cast.

Verdi Productions’ secret horror movie, “My Boyfriend is a Demon,” now filming in Rhode Island, is no longer a secret as Chad A. Verdi, the East Greenwich production company’s president, has announced the cast and given an outline of the movie’s plot.

The ensemble cast comprises veteran actors and rising young talents. The story follows Mary, a lonely, small-town girl who creates a fake Instagram account that pretends to be boyfriend, a guy too perfect to be real. Mary puts so much effort into making him “real” that he shows up at her door one day.

The cast includes:

Mattias Ferrell, son of comic actor Will Ferrell and known for “A Very Jonas Christmas Movie” and “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.”
Coco Arquette, daughter of Courteney Cox and David Arquette and known for “Cougar Town.”
David Arquette, known for his work in the “Scream” film franchise.
Rosanna Arquette, David’s sister and Coco’s aunt, known for “The Moment.”
Bailey Sloan, known for “Ragamuffin.”
Jack Champion, known for “Avatar.”
Ever Anderson, known for “Peter Pan & Wendy.”
Vinnie Hacker, known for “Euphoria.”
Josephine Reitman, known for “Juno.”
Savannah Lee Smith, kown for “Tunsel Town.”
Lisa Yamada, known for “Elle.”
Ty Law, known for “Friday Night Lights.”

“My Boyfriend is a Demon” is written and directed by first-time director mishka.

“My Boyfriend is a Demon” is filming in Providence

The movie began filming in Rhode Island in April and has rented Providence’s Cranston Street Armory for the month of May to use as a studio.

The producing team for Verdi Productions includes Chad A. Verdi, Chad Verdi Jr., Paul Luba, Michelle Verdi and Sera Verdi. Executive producers include Ketchup Entertainment and Kinolime.

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Rhode Island

Weather Now: Showers, T’storm Today

Published

15 hours ago

May 14, 2026

Press Room

Good morning! Happy Thursday! Today will be pretty unsettled with the chance for showers and t’storms. Friday will still be damp with showers and drizzle, but the weekend still looks amazing!

The one good thing with the rain, for allergy sufferers at least, the pollen levels will be lower. In fact, both today and tomorrow, the tree pollen counts will be low locally. Do expect a spike in the pollen count for Saturday and Sunday with the dry weather.

INTERACTIVE RADAR: Live Pinpoint Weather 12 Radar »

“https://www.wpri.com/weather-now/weather-now-for-thu-5-14-26/” FLIGHT TRACKER

“https://www.wpri.com/weather-now/weather-now-for-thu-5-14-26/” POWER OUTAGES

TODAY

Hour-by-hour forecast for today…

Hour by Hour // A close look at the upcoming conditions »

We’ll have some showers around during the morning commute today, but the greatest chance for showers and t’storms will be after 9AM and before 5PM.

Showers and thunderstorms could slow travel around mid-day. Rain could fall heavily at times.

A line of showers and t’storms will be sweeping across the area through the afternoon as a slow-moving weather systems moves through the region.

Highs today will be in the upper 50s to lower 60s with southeast to east winds of 5-15mph.

“https://www.wpri.com/weather-now/weather-now-for-thu-5-14-26/” BEACH AND BOATING FORECASTS

TONIGHT

Showers are still possible this evening; although they won’t be as numerous.

TOMORROW

That low center will be nearby Friday morning, and we’ll be stuck with a damp, cool windflow. Expect drizzle and showers in the morning and possibly some lingering showers in the afternoon.

Highs Friday will only be in the 50s. The average high this time of year is in the upper 60s.

LOOKING AHEAD

Then…there’s the weekend. Saturday looks amazing with lots of sunshine and dry weather. It’ll be warmer, too, with highs in the 70s.

-Meteorologist T.J. Del Santo

T.J. Del Santo (tdelsanto@wpri.com) is the weekday morning and noon meteorologist for 12 News. Connect with him on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and Threads and BlueSky.

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