Community Corner
Worcester Food Justice Nonprofit Breaks Ground On Main South Center
A Worcester nonprofit focused on food access and youth development has broken ground on a Center for Urban Agriculture and Food Security.
WORCESTER, MA — A Worcester nonprofit focused on food access and youth development has broken ground on a new Center for Urban Agriculture and Food Security in Main South.
The Regional Environmental Council project will expand REC Worcester’s urban agriculture work in the neighborhood, including its farm and future community-serving space tied to youth development, food access, and community engagement.City Manager Eric Batista congratulated REC in a public post, saying the organization has “long shown its commitment to bringing opportunities to the people of Main South.”
REC is a nonprofit food justice organization with a 53-year history of working on environmental sustainability and social justice in Worcester, according to REC Worcester. Its programs include Urban Garden Resources of Worcester, community and school gardens, farmers markets and YouthGROW, a youth employment and urban agriculture program for Worcester teens.
The center is planned in part around REC’s property at 108 Beacon St., a former firehouse in Main South. REC acquired the building in March 2025 and plans to preserve and rehabilitate it for future use as part of the Center for Urban Agriculture and Food Security, according to a city Community Preservation Act application filed by the organization.
The two-story brick firehouse was built in 1901-1902 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, according to the application.
A 2027 preservation phase is expected to cost about $1.5 million, with REC requesting $300,000 in CPA funding, according to the application. The organization said the work would help prepare the building for long-term community use.
The project has also drawn local philanthropic support. The Webster Five Foundation awarded REC $5,000 as the first installment of a $25,000 multiyear grant for the Center for Urban Agriculture and Food Security in Main South, according to The Worcester Guardian
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