Construction to renovate the Kane Building on 204 Main St. in Worcester into a 20-unit apartment building has begun.
Menkiti Group, a Washington, D.C.-based developer with offices in Worcester, is responsible for the renovation project. The company expects construction to be finished by 2026, it said in a June 3 press release.
Workers in hard hats were visible at the site of the building on Thursday morning.
On the side of the building facing the street, a bright red banner reads “D.F. Pray,” the name of a Seekonk-based contracting company. Menkiti is partnering with D.F. Pray to rehabilitate the building, according to the press release.
The project “… reflects the kind of thoughtful, community-centered investment we believe in,” Bo Menkiti, the founder and CEO of The Menkiti Group, said in the press release. “By bringing new housing and retail space to an underutilized building, we’re advancing the city’s vision for a stronger, more connected downtown.”
The project includes 20 apartments, with two of them income-restricted to comply with Worcester’s inclusionary zoning ordinance.
The development will also feature a redesigned space for The Garden Fresh Courthouse Café, located on the ground floor, according to the press release. There will also be an additional retail storefront along Main Street.
In addition to owning 204 Main St. Menkiti owns other downtown properties, such as the Chatham Lofts apartment building on 6 Chatham St. and 554 Main St.
The Kane Building was first constructed by Kane Enterprises, which included Kane Furniture Co. It housed the company until it closed in the 1950s, according to the Telegram & Gazette.
