Community Corner

UMass To Back Arts Center At Former Worcester Boys Club

UMass Memorial and Creative Hub will unveil plans for the Ionic Avenue building during a Monday event.

A long-planned renovation of the Worcester Boys Club along Ionic Avenue will get help from UMass Memorial.
A long-planned renovation of the Worcester Boys Club along Ionic Avenue will get help from UMass Memorial. (Google Maps)

WORCESTER, MA — UMass Memorial will aid in the renovation of the former Worcester Boys Club along Ionic Avenue into an arts center, the health center announced Thursday morning.

Creative Hub Worcester founders Laura Marotta and Stacy Lord have been raising money to turn the 1914 building along Ionic Avenue into an arts, events and teaching space for years. Backing from UMass Memorial will lend $500,000 to the project.

Over the years, Creative Hub Worcester has amassed millions in financing and loans, and $4.5 million in tax credits, to complete the renovation. Marotta and Lord have said they want to open the building sometime in 2021.

Find out what's happening in Worcesterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

UMass said in a tweet Thursday that new plans for the Worcester Boys Club building will be unveiled in a Facebook live event on Aug. 31.

Find out what's happening in Worcesterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

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