Bernardi Group Breaks Ground On $22 Million Brockton Dealerships

The BrocktonPost
BROCKTON—Lt. Governor Timothy Murray made a whirlwind tour of Brockton Thursday making three stops at Brockton businesses that have received money for growth and renovations, including a more than $22 million project under construction that will bring new Honda and Hyundai dealerships to Manley Street.
“The City of Brockton has not seen such a large scale investment of over $22 million in at least 10 years,” said State Representative Michael D. Brady in a prepared statement. “Not only have the thousands of travelers coming up Route 24 seen construction over the past few weeks, but they see a facelift in Brockton,” Brady said.
The project broke ground a few weeks ago and is estimated to bring 125 new permanent jobs to the region and construction workers have already begun to demolish a 204,000 square-foot-building to make room for new two commercial buildings.
The dealerships will be operated by the Bernardi Group, which has dealerships in Framingham and Boston.
“Bernardi Honda and Bernardi Hyundai will invigorate the marketplace as a destination drawing visitors from near and far,” said Jim Carney, president and owner of Bernardi Group in a statement. “We are honored to be welcomed to the City of Champions,” he said.
Financing for the project was jumpstarted by a $16 million Recovery Zone Facility bond—a loan program that supports public and private development by offering favorable borrowing rates for projects designated within so-called “recovery zones.”
During Murray’s visit Thursday, the governor’s office announced Montilio’s Bakery on Spark Street is the first business in the state to receive a Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation grant—a $60,000 short-term loan that will allow the bakery to buy new equipment to take on new accounts.
Murray also made another stop at Brockton Neighborhood Health Center on Main Street and highlighted the $11.3 million grant from U.S. Health and Human Services for the health center to construct four more floors to the facility to expand burgeoning radiology, dentistry, optometry and other departments.
Sue Joss, the health center’s executive director, said in a recent interview plans call for the 26,000-square-foot project to begin in the spring and be completed by the summer of 2012.
“We’ve been here for two years and we’ve already outgrown it,” Joss said.
The health center completed another $2.5 million expansion and renovation in June.
(Photo above of Montilio's employees and government officials courtesy of Governor Deval Patrick's office)