SHREWSBURY — Less than a mile from where the Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge brings in motorists from Worcester, a square sign with blue lettering along Route 9 continues to be a landmark symbolic of “what once was.”
Once dilapidated by the weight of time, the building at 235 Boston Turnpike, known by many as the Worcester City Motel, has seen efforts to breathe new life into it since renovations that started in 2021.
The once patched-up parking lot now holds the freshness of newly layered asphalt, while the building’s exterior has been refinished to match the deep blue theme of the sign’s lettering.
According to an announcement made by Town Manager Kevin J. Mizikar at a Select Board meeting on June 25, the location is set to shelter families most recently living at the former Days Inn in Shrewsbury, part of a state-funded sheltering program.
Mizikar said at the meeting that the decision was made by the state’s Executive Office of Housing, indicating that the location would be a “longer-term stay environment” for the families.
“We'll work with all town officials and continue the relationship with the state to make sure this is as smooth as possible, especially for those with school-aged children,” Mizikar said during the meeting.
Mizikar said at the June 25 Select Board meeting that the families would be moved into the building throughout the summer.
On Tuesday, a site manager on the former motel’s grounds said that the families have yet to move in, but they are still expected to do so.
He mentioned that among them, there would be refugees.
Starting in May 2023, Shrewsbury was picked by the state Department of Housing and Community Development to shelter up to 16 families at a local lodging facility.
The families, supported by a third-party contractor of the state for food and other needs, according to a statement by the town, were characterized as “homeless/migrant.”
In a “right to shelter” state, the DHCD is obligated to find shelter for families who fulfill certain eligibility criteria, which include low-income families with children under 21 or pregnant women who qualify for the state Emergency Assistance program, according to the town’s statement.
In Shrewsbury, priority to shelter is given to local families.
Entirely funded by the state, the Emergency Assistance program was part of the governor’s $389 million investment for housing that was signed for fiscal year 2023.
According to the town’s statement, the DHCD does not require “local approval” to shelter families under this program.
Calls to Mizikar’s office were not immediately returned, while a call to one of the lot’s owners, Ketan H. Patel, who is part of a three-headed partnership with Azad Legacy Partners LLC, was dropped after a reporter introduced himself.
A Lexington-based property investment firm, Azad also includes Robert Parsekian and Charlie P. Minasian alongside Patel in its partnership.
The company took over the former Worcester City Motel on Aug. 15, 2019, for $2.3 million from Vihar Inc., a company led by President Pramod B. Thaker of Shrewsbury.
Azad focuses on office, laboratory, flex, retail and industrial properties in the Boston area.
In January 2023, the firm’s trio was ordered to pay $65,000 in restitution and penalties for labor violations, including the failure to pay wages and earned sick time in a timely manner for locations that include the motel at 235 Boston Turnpike.
The other motels, also under Azad’s ownership, were two Red Roof Inn locations in Sutton and Woburn.
The former Worcester City Motel, located at 235 Boston Turnpike, spreads on about 21,538 square feet of space.
With the construction year dated by property records to have been 1957, the motel once belonged to a time when roadside motor inns ruled Route 9, providing travelers a much-needed break.
It was once known for its low-cost rooms.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Remade Worcester City Motel to shelter families, refugees in Shrewsbury
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