Marlborough- The Apex Center of New England, a commercial mixed-use development in the city of Marlborough, is expected to create 1,600 permanent jobs when it opens in October, in addition to the approximately 400 temporary jobs it has already created during construction.
The 475,000 square-foot Apex Center is among the largest developments currently underway in MetroWest and one of the biggest to come to Marlborough in the past decade. When completed in the fall of 2017, the development will consist of 11 buildings, including a 150,000-square-foot entertainment complex, two hotels, six restaurants, retail stores and office buildings. Over 96 percent of the space has already been leased and, once it is fully operational, the Apex Center is expected to create 800 full-time and 800 part-time jobs.
Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito announced the job numbers while touring the entertainment center project site May 23, alongside developer Robert Walker, Marlborough Mayor Arthur Vigeant, Marlborough Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) executive director Meredith Harris and other local officials. The tour was organized on Polito’s recommendation, after the commonwealth of Massachusetts awarded a $3.05 million MassWorks Infrastructure Program grant to the city in November 2016. The grant will fund roadway improvements along Route 20 West, including new turn lanes and upgraded signals, to support the Apex Center.
“This is a proud moment for our commonwealth,” said Polito while speaking at the event. “My colleagues in the legislature and city officials and the municipal government here are coming together with the private sector to unleash an incredible opportunity here. While there is a lot of activity in eastern Massachusetts, in our capital city, seeing this level of investment and activity in the heart of our commonwealth is really profound, and it’s a real testament to the city’s leadership.”
“Part of the reason we’re here is because of the Lieutenant Governor and MassWorks and Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash’s confidence in the city, as well as the city of Marlborough’s commitment,” Walker said. “We wouldn’t be here without the support of the city; they have been very welcoming. When you invest hundreds of thousands of dollars, sometimes millions, into a city, you bring those very important jobs of every aspect. From entry level, all the way to management and ownership. A lot of these folks here are independent owners of their own business, which gets me excited every day to see someone be able to grow and prosper and bring someone up along with them. It’s quiet a success story.”