With more than a 2 year journey complete, Just Dance Performing Arts Center has a new permanent home at 25 Kraft Street, Gardner
Just Dance Performing Arts Center Gets Permanent New Home
The Dance Center has a new home just in time for 2024-2025 Dance Season which runs from September 9th through May 17th. New location is 25 Kraft Street in Gardner which was previously the site of Lachance Interiors Furniture. Location has a large amount of interior space and plenty of available parking for customers. There are 4 dance instructors on staff including owner Rebecca Wilson, Joy Kapp, Kate McGuiness, and Melissa Woolfrey. All have decades of experience as outlined on the Just Dance website, CLICK HERE. All dancers who have enrolled in classes prior to December 1st may participate in the Just Dance annual May Dance Recital which will take place May17, 2025 at Narragansett Regional High School.
Previously located in Downtown Gardner: Just Dance was previously located in Downtown Gardner in what is now apartments at 42-52 Parker Street. The business moved 5 years after the Gardner Redevelopment Authority purchased the buildings in 2017 with the intent on selling them to a developer so they could be properly renovated.
Sale to Developer and Relocation Help by City: When a sale to a developer occurred, Mayor Nicholson met personally with Wilson and informed her how the City would provide a relocation specialist at a cost to the City of up to $80,000. Sign at old location went down on May 31, 2022. Wilson eventually looked at dozens of properties. See complete article, CLICK HERE. The City of Gardner provided Just Dance considerable assistance with the business receiving almost a $200,000 benefit over the 5 years GRA paid for gas, water, sewer, trash, property maintenance, and insurance etc. In addition, the City of Gardner wrote a check for $69,500 to Wilson to assist in relocation and fit out costs for a new location.
Previous Option Didn’t pan out: Wilson looked around and thought she had a new spot on Lincoln Street. A plan had been discussed and initially approved to locate the studio it what was a former church on Lincoln Street but that never materialized. Previous article regarding 69 Lincoln Street location, CLICK HERE The Zoning Board of Appeals had approved the Lincoln Street location and Rebecca Wilson had a beaming smile at the meeting, CLICK HERE. We’re not sure what happened with that idea. Most recently, Just Dance was operating out of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Cross Street in Gardner.