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MANSFIELD – Construction of a School Street marijuana grow plant is slated to begin in July and is expected to produce products in just over a year, the company’s president said.
The facility will have two floors and cover 84,000 square feet with an area of ​​just over an acre, or 44,000 square feet, said Doug Rhodes, president of Community Gardens LLC.
Approximately 51,000 square feet will be used for cultivation.
The goal is to occupy the 500 School St. building by January and produce marijuana products in 14 to 16 months, Rhodes said.
“Once the building is finished, we should be able to get to the market pretty quickly,†he said.
The products will include “high quality flower and healthier edibles,” Rhodes said.
“As a local organization, quality, consistency and safety are our priority. We think it’s about making products for friends and neighbors, not customers, â€he said.
The two buildings currently on the property will be razed to make room for the marijuana facility.
Rhodes said the buildings were offered to the fire department for training purposes, but he is not aware of the department’s plans.
Plus, he hopes to host a career fair in late fall if all goes according to plan.
The company will look to hire as many Mansfield residents and veterans as possible.
“We plan to pay better than a living wage and have a profit sharing plan,†he said.
When fully staffed, the company will have up to 50 employees, he said.
The human resources department and the accounting department may be located elsewhere.
The company’s community hosting agreement requires it to channel 2.25% of its sales into city coffers.
The agreement is good for five years.
In the meantime, the company has donated $ 20,000 to the town’s Veterans Fund and $ 15,000 to the Our Daily Bread pantry, Rhodes said.
“We really want to respect the community and be a valued member of it,†Rhodes said. “We don’t want to be a bad neighbor.
Another way the company is pursuing this goal is to use local architects and contractors to build its factory, he said.
During the authorization process, concerns were raised about odors emanating from the plant, but Rhodes said the high-tech equipment would prevent this.
“We are putting advanced technology in place,†he said. “No one will ever feel us.”
Rhodes hopes to establish a retail outlet for their products at some point, but there are currently no locations available in Mansfield.
But if anything does open, the company “would be delighted to open” a retail store in the city.
Georges W. Rhodes can be reached at 508-236-0432. He is not related to Community Gardens President Doug Rhodes.
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