Site Of Deadly Worcester Fire Sold To Neighboring Property Owner

WORCESTER, MA — The site of a 2022 fire that killed four residents of a neglected multifamily home has been sold to a neighboring property owner, according to Worcester County property records.

In late June, Nicholas Granata-Cappabianca bought 2 Gage St. for $170,000 from a limited liability corporation that has owned the property since the fire. The multifamily home on the property was torn down after the fire. Granata-Cappabianca also owns the multifamily home at 4 Gage St., according to property records.

The sale is the latest turn for the troubled property. Before the fire in 2022, the building had been plagued with health and safety problems, with tenants reporting everything from mold and mice to missing smoke detectors.

Former owners and Westford residents Huanchen Li and Wendy Wang transferred 2 Gage St. to an LLC after the fire, and then tore the building down. In 2023, Jaime Vargas, a contractor based in Marlborough, entered into an agreement to purchase and rebuild on the site. Vargas asked the Worcester Affordable Housing Trust Fund board for $472,000 toward the project, but the board declined due to unclear ties between Vargas and the former owners.

The city issued a permit for the rebuild in April 2023, touching off a year-long tangle with city inspectors who visited the property dozens of times over safety issues. Worcester's building department in April ordered the property owner to fix the sidewalk around the property, repair construction fences and control erosion on the site.

Commissioner of Inspectional Services Christopher Spencer is set to appear before the Worcester City Council's Public Safety Committee on Tuesday to give an update on the status of 2 Gage St.