Gem – City

Gardner MA and its Journey to Becoming a Gem of a City

In the last few years, the City of Gardner has been making incremental, but significant progress towards becoming a Gem of a City. Beautiful parks and recreation areas, entire buildings being transformed, new businesses opening, and ongoing construction. Here’s a view from October 4, 2023.

1. Park Street Park off Park Street was an electric substation with a barbed wire fence. Now, it’s a beautiful and popular recreation site.

2. The 25 Main Street Building has undergone major interior and exterior work in the last year and has been transformed. More improvements are currently being made. We’re showing some being made to the rear of the building where there is parking. There’s talk of a new restaurant called “the Vault” which may open on the first floor.

3. The Old Wheelen Supply Warehouse on Main Street will soon be Golf Rx. The building looks beautiful on the outside and construction equipment was still being used inside.

4. The Garbose Building already has beautiful new windows, which were made locally,by SWS, a division of Maki’s in Gardner. A man was up in the air sprucing up the trim on the outside of the building.

5. The Empire Management Building is getting a whole new look on the outside. Work is ongoing.

6. No more windows at the old Stop and Shop as construction is fully underway to get ready for the opening of Aldi, a grocery store, by the end of this year or beginning of next year.

7. The grade is visible at the site of the future Maki Park. There will be 3 tiers for the public to use. The reason for tiering the site is because the current pitch is not ADA compliant.

8. Orpheum Park has flowers in bloom and a beautiful fountain. It is located on Parker Street.

9. The Rear Main Street Project has yet to get underway. But a photo of the street in a distance view shows an already beautiful sidewalk with flowers and attractive lamp posts. The project will consist of multiple floors of residential housing, commercial space, a food truck parking area, and perhaps even a rooftop restaurant.