Central Mass. by the Numbers

$400,000

A Blackstone man was sentenced to three years in prison after embezzling more than $400,000 from a second-hand store in Worcester. Anthony Prizio, 49, was sentenced in U.S. District Court. In February, he pleaded guilty to using the identities of others and falsifying work hours in a scheme that directed wages to himself. Prizio is a former store manager at two Savers location in Worcester. Federal Judge Margaret R. Guzman delivered the three-year prison sentence, to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered Prizio to pay $431,399 in restitution to his former employer.

121,000

The dormant Amazon warehouse on the one-time site of the Greendale Mall is expected to see the coming and going of packages by the end of the year. Mike Murphy, a manager for the New England field communications team at the online retailer, confirmed in an email to the Telegram & Gazette that the 121,000-square-foot warehouse "is slated to begin operations in time for the holiday season this year." The warehouse was completed in late 2022 but has sat idle since. In 2019, a holding company bought the struggling mall and soon leveled it.

100

f you’ve stopped in to the Fuel America coffee shop at 100 Grove St. lately, you may have noticed a new door leading to a brand-new convenience store. The Grove Village Market will hold an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. July 11, followed by a block party with vendors and a live DJ set from Brandon Ma. “We're making this space a little more walkable and making the neighborhood feel more like home for people who live here, work here, or are going to school here — for all the people who exist in this little part of Worcester,” said owner Neelu Mohaghegh.

827

A group of investors with a plan to bring a thoroughbred horse racing facility to Gardner outlined their vision during a public meeting at Williams Restaurant . Officials with Bay State Racing LLC met with members of the public to discuss their proposal, which they said would convert the GAAMHA property at 827 Green St. into a year-round equestrian facility with activities that would include thoroughbred racing and wagering; agricultural and equestrian festivals; a breeding program; training facilities and therapy programs for individuals in recovery. This is Bay State Racing's second attempt to bring horse racing to Gardner.

167

The ongoing saga of what will become of the historic White Cliffs estate at 167 Main St. in Northborough has taken an unexpected turn, as an ad-hoc group charged with suggesting a future for Town Hall is recommending that it be moved into a renovated version of the Route 20 mansion. For years, the property operated as a restaurant and function hall, most notably by the Tomaiolo family, which ran the White Cliffs Restaurant and Function Facility from 1953 to 1985. The LaCava family then purchased the property, running it as a function hall until putting the building up for sale in 2014 .

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Central Mass. by the Numbers