🔒Southbridge Innovation Center seeks to tie historic past to a future enticing to new residents, old residents, and businesses

New England’s iconic brick factory buildings tell a bittersweet story. These once bustling industrial hubs employed generations of factory workers and formed the backbone of local towns. As labor became cheaper and more accessible overseas, domestic manufacturing fell, leaving vacant mills in their wake. The closing of these iconic manufacturers not only impacted the local job market, but left a void in their communities.

Southbridge was once home to the American Optical Co., the world’s largest optical manufacturer. During its heyday, the plant produced 2 million pairs of glasses, employed more than 4,000 locals, and founded revolutionary technology used by NASA, the military, and fans of aviator sunglasses. Founded in 1883, the AO was entrenched in the town’s every day function for more than 100 years until its production moved to Mexico in 1992.

Through his long-term vision and decades of hard work, Charles “Chip” Norton, managing director of Franklin Realty Advisors LLC in Wellesley, has breathed new life into the once boarded up buildings by developing them into Southbridge Innovation Center.

“You see it transforming into something new, having a second chance so to speak. I think that means alot to the community,” said Southbridge Town Manager Michael McCall about the improvements unfolding at the Southbridge Innovation Center.

The center

Located at 14 Mechanic St., the Southbridge Innovation Center is a 150-acre campus comprising 14 buildings and the Southbridge Hotel and Conference Center. The scope of the development is huge, featuring 1.2 million square feet.

In the late 1990s, Norton was brought on to the Innovation Center as the general manager. From the onset of the project, Norton knew the buildings would need to be repurposed. During the 1900s, the American Optical manufacturing plants had production lines of different floors of the buildings. Through new regulations and changing workspace preferences, Norton understood modern manufacturers favored open spaces situated on one level. As a result, the campus was designed with mixed-use purposes at the forefront.

Each building was specifically designed for multiple functions as demonstrated by the Southbridge Hotel and Conference Center, which is not only a hotel, but houses training facilities used by entities such as the U.S. Department of Defense.

One of the main purposes of the center is to provide the community with affordable housing. In 2016, the property was designated on the National Register of Historic Places, and the subsequent historic tax credits allowed the residential housing project to be economically viable.

The housing project known as Southbridge Mills is redeveloping the buildings on Case Street. The first phase of development will create 48 housing units while the second building will establish 127 units.

While the historic designation helped fund the housing project, Norton was restricted on how the buildings could be altered, which led to creative strategizing.

“It was a challenge meeting the market demands without changing the buildings,” he said.

The campus is already leasing space to businesses, including MassHire Southbridge Career Center, Stonebridge Press, endoscopy manufacturer Karl Storz, semiconductor manufacturer Cleanpart, and manufacturer Element Precision.

The center utilizes its own power plant, with a cogeneration facility providing power to 70% of the campus. In December, the plant was sold to Ram Gupta of MSNS Limited Company Inc. of Carlisle for $5.5 million.

The town financially benefits directly since the center is the largest paying taxpayer in town, but indirectly the financial benefits will grow as residents and employees at the Southbridge Innovation Center shop, eat, and use the town’s services. The center provides around 400 full-time jobs with the potential to employ up to 1,000 people once the development is complete.

Shifting gears

Growing up in nearby Woodstock, Chamber of Central Mass. South Executive Director Alexandra McNitt visited Southbridge often as a child and remembers the presence of American Optical. As part of the latest phase of development, Norton fixed and turned on the lighted water fountain once an iconic image of the AO.

“It was such a small thing, but so meaningful,” McNitt said.

Southbridge was so dependent on a singular employer many older residents could not comprehend the thought that the optical company closed, she said. However, through the center’s mixed-use developments, the old buildings are attracting new businesses and changing residents’ mindsets.

“It is time for the community to shift their gears,” McNitt said.

From a regional perspective, many communities in McNitt’s catchment area want to repurpose their vacant industrial buildings. However, the funding process is extremely slow, making it financially unfeasible for many towns.

Southbridge’s efforts with the innovation center are supplemented by the coronavirus pandemic as people move away from urban areas and into more suburban/rural towns, she said.

Portions of Boston’s population are moving to Worcester for affordability while Worcester residents are moving to surrounding towns like Southbridge, McNitt said.

“Things flow out of Worcester and go west, and Southbridge has been benefiting from that,” she said.

A rising tide lifts all boats

Building off the opportunities presented by the innovation center and the pandemic, the Town of Southbridge is actively making its own improvements to become a live, work, play community, said Southbridge Town Manager Michael McCall

The goal is to allow life-long residents the affordability to stay in the town while encouraging new blood by attracting new businesses and young families. Southbridge is focusing its efforts on a variety of projects such as the $26-million Wells School project to turn a vacant school into residential housing for residents 55 years and older.

“We want to make Southbridge attractive and liveable to residents in all stages of their lives. We also hope to court businesses with our walkable downtown and zoning changes,” McCall said.

Improving infrastructure, providing recreational opportunities like a future rail trail, and reallocating zoning laws and liquor licenses to attract restaurants, businesses, and residences into the area are all part of the master plan, he said.

McCall is excited Norton is preserving the historical significance and architectural beauty of the past while paving the way for new possibilities.

“It does represent the town in a lot of ways. It’s history, it’s culture, and in many respects, it is the future. That is part of the lifeblood of this community and always will be,” McCall said.

CORRECTION: A previous edition of this article stated that Quinsigamond Community College was leasing space at the Southbridge Innovation Center. This information is incorrect, Quinsigamond only leases space at the Southbridge High School.