Longtime Gardner dance center eyeing former church for new studio

GARDNER – A longtime downtown business enterprise is exploring for a new property.

Just after 12 a long time, the Just Dance! Doing Arts Middle will have to leave its rented area at 48 Parker St. simply because the developing has been offered and is becoming redeveloped.

Rebecca Wilson, who opened the studio in 2010, stated she was in the beginning unhappy by the information that she would have to go her organization, but now her concentration is on obtaining a new spot.

“I sense like I went by way of all the phases of grieving, like denial and anger,” Wilson discussed. “By now, I’m absolutely in the acceptance phase, and I’m searching to just shift ahead and hopefully the future spot we’re at will be far better. That is the aim.”

Wilson, who said additional than 200 students have been enrolled at her dance middle, claimed she was grateful for the help from the neighborhood. Her business is on short-term keep when she searches for a new studio site.

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“I simply cannot say adequate great things about (their aid),” she reported. “So a lot of people have reached out with strategies. And my dance households are stating they’ll observe me anywhere I go. It truly helps make me come to feel great and retains me determined. It’s good to know that I do have a wonderful assist system.”

The Gardner Redevelopment Authority (GRA) ordered the Ryan Block house that housed the middle from landlord Dean Marcus in 2017, with the intention of marketing the creating for redevelopment. The GRA also acquired the adjacent house at 52 Parker Street.

In late 2021, it was introduced the two properties – which are connected internally – had been offered to Mass Ave Realty, which was picked by the metropolis based mostly on its specific designs to renovate the complete house into household housing. City officers delayed closing of the deal until finally June 1, 2022, to give Just Dance! time to obtain a new place.

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“Obviously, we wanted (Rebecca) to remain downtown,” explained Trevor Beauregard, government director of the GRA. “My intention was always to preserve the dance studio there, but however I just can’t regulate everything.”

The building’s new house owners explained to town officials that, for the reason that of the sounds and other elements, it wouldn’t be possible to check out and hire out residences that were subsequent to a dance studio. In Dec. 2021, the city hired a relocation expert, Stephen Mollica of Leominster, to aid Just Dance! discover a new spot in the town.

“(Stephen’s) a good dude,” Wilson stated. “He would call and look at in with me each individual 7 days, and when in a though he would ship me some destinations to examine out, so that was very good.”

Between the attributes considered had been the Timpany Crossroads Plaza and the previous Gardner News developing.

In May perhaps, Wilson made a decision to pursue the research for a new location devoid of the aid of Mollica, according to metropolis officials. She was given a just one-time lump sum payment of $69,500 by the GRA to assist in her relocation attempts.

Wilson has been eyeing property at 69 Lincoln St. for her new locale, following it was prompt by some of the moms and dads at her studio. She mentioned the constructing, a former church, would be much more than appropriate to residence her small business.

“In my head, it’s perfect for a dance studio,” she mentioned. “It’s related to what we (experienced), with massive open areas and superior ceilings.”

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In some strategies, she added, the new possible site would even be an improvement around her aged deal with.
She mentioned it is on a quieter road and has a parking whole lot, which would make it a lot easier for mother and father to select up and drop off their kids at dance.

“But nothing at all is definite however,” she cautioned. “We’re working with the Gardner Zoning Board and the Developing Department to get right acceptance of every little thing.”

“Hopefully, (the new spot) will work out, simply because we really want to retain (Rebecca) in the metropolis,” Beauregard reported.

Wilson, who employs four other instructors, stated she appreciated Beauregard’s sentiments, and additional that her top rated priority was to maintain her studio in Gardner.

“We have people from all of the encompassing towns, so moving would make it extra tough for a lot of the families, so I would enjoy to keep in Gardner.”

Wilson stated she was self-assured that Just Dance! would have a new site in the community finally.

“I know that we’re likely to locate a new place,” she explained. “If (Lincoln Road) doesn’t function out, I’m just likely to retain likely and maintain on the lookout. But we’ll absolutely uncover a space and be again up and running.”

This post initially appeared on Gardner News: Just Dance! Carrying out Arts Middle in Gardner exploring for new household