Officials from Factory Mutual Engineering and Research Corp. broke ground yesterday for a major $7 million conference and training center at their Route 1 complex.
Situated on a scenic, wooded 30-acre tract north of the existing complex near the Neponset River, the self-contained facility will feature a five-story private hotel with accommodations for 125 insurance agents attending training sessions, alongside 24 conference rooms and modern dining facilities.
The project is projected to create 50 to 100 initial staff jobs, adding to Factory Mutual’s existing Norwood workforce of approximately 1,400 employees.
Massachusetts Governor Edward J. King joined Factory Mutual Engineering President John A. Love and George R. West, chairman of the Factory Mutual Systems executive committee, to turn the first shovels of earth in a ceremony attended by company executives, spouses, and local Norwood town officials. Praising state cooperation, President Love noted that assistance from the governor’s office in navigating state bureaucracy shaved six to eight months off the project’s timeline. Governor King hailed the new facility as an encouraging indicator for the state’s economic vitality, though he cautioned that regional challenges—such as energy cost hikes and cutbacks at the General Dynamics Shipyard in Quincy—still required attention. (Photography by Larry Welsh).
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
More…
-
Late July Completion Date Hoped For Portion Of Electrical Project-June 23, 1970
A massive local utility overhaul transitions the town’s power grid to save thousands in wholesale electricity costs.
-
Norwood Kills Funds For School Addition-June 26, 1969
Voters approve a $1,000 Endean Park drainage compromise and reverse a zoning rule to relocate Carl A. Johnson’s Norwood Cadillac Co. along Route 1.
-
Harry B. Butters Testimonial Committee To Meet Tonight-June 24, 1969
Officials announce ticket pricing and a late-summer sales window for the upcoming civic banquet slated for September at Route 1’s Roll-Land Hall.
-
Norwood Voters To Consider Lighting Funds-June 26, 1968
The Finance Commission backs the utility expansion alongside a $163,000 sewer construction article, while the town master plan is deferred.
-
Norwood Planners To Postpone Article On Master Plan-June 25, 1968
Planners vote unanimously to defy a Finance Commission veto, taking an eight-thousand-dollar intersection study request straight to town meeting.
-
FinCom Recommends $2.5-Million Expenditure-June 21, 1968
A massive infrastructure recommendation heading to a special town meeting could alter Norwood’s utility footprint and spark eminent domain protests.
-
Residents Oppose Planned Electricity Lines-June 19, 1968
A tense municipal standoff unfolded in June 1968 when neighborhood homeowners confronted Norwood Light Superintendent William J. Kates over eminent domain land takings for a two-mile power line extension.
-
Building Permits Double Over Previous Year as Construction Rebounds from 1966 Low-August 14, 1967
Bolstered by available mortgage money and a major Star Market warehouse permit, Norwood building valuation reached $2.25 million for the first half of 1967, outpacing the previous year.
-
Norwood Planning Board Approaches Route 1 Zoning Solution-July 11, 1967
Planning Board Addresses Route 1 Zoning Violations On July 11, 1967, the Norwood Planning Board held a productive meeting with local residents to address long-standing zoning violations along Route 1. ⠀ The proposed resolution, introduced by Town Engineer Robert A. Hamilton, involves rezoning all commercially owned properties situated between East Cross Street and Dean Street…
-
Industrial Commission Welcomes Star Service Hub-June 30, 1967
Following 50 intensive town meetings to resolve department regulations, developers project the new multi-million square foot industrial hub will lower Norwood’s local tax rate.
Discover more from Norwood Historical Society
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.