Massive Athol mill sold for $1.2M to marijuana grower
Photo | File | Zachary Comeau
The former Union Twist Drill building in Athol
The former Union Twist Drill building in Athol has been sold for $1.15 million to a marijuana company to be used as a cultivation facility.
MassGrow, LLC, based in Natick, will begin construction at the 360,000-square-foot mill in September, said Frank Perullo, CEO of cannabis consulting firm Novus Group.
The mill has been virtually empty since 1986 when the Union Twist Drill Co. closed the site. It was purchased shortly after by former employee Bill Purple, who along with his family have been attempting to attract tenants to transform the massive structure into a thriving taxpayer.
According to Perullo, the project will be done in phases, with phase one expected to be complete in February or March. That will include just 50,000 square feet of the building and up to 50 employees.
The company’s long-term plans in three to five years are to attract other companies and create a cannabis campus, Perullo said in an email.
At a June 25 meeting at the town’s Planning and Community Development Board, Perullo said the company is planning to invest up to $20 million to improve the building. The company would make an attempt to hire locally, including holding a job fair in town.
The company expects to have 75 jobs within six months after the facility begins operating, and that total could double within 18 months, Perullo said.
According to the Cannabis Control Commission, MassGrow has already applied for a marijuana cultivation license.
In July, Athol’s Board of Selectmen approved a host community agreement with the company including annual payments to the town of 3 percent of the company’s gross revenues from the sale of products.
Another $30,000 will be donated to up to three local charitable, research or educational causes and $20,000 to cover the town’s legal and technical assistance expenses associated with the project.
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