BREAKING NEWS: Hasbro leaving Pawtucket for Boston Seaport at the end of 2026

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WLNE) — Hasbro, Inc. has announced that it is leaving its Pawtucket headquarters for the Boston Seaport District.

According to a Monday statement from the company’s website, the move will bring Hasbro to 400 Summer Street in Boston.

The company’s new facility will house at least 700 full-time employees in the transition expected to come at the end of 2026, according to the statement.

“I’m delighted to welcome Hasbro to its new home in Boston,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. “The creativity and wonder at the heart of Hasbro’s work are also at the heart of our mission to make Boston a home for everyone…”

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey also weighed in on the move.

“We are thrilled that Hasbro has chosen Massachusetts as the home of its new headquarters, and we’re ready to support the hundreds of jobs they will create here,” said Healey. “We’re proud to welcome this iconic company to Team Massachusetts — where we are number one for education, health care and innovation.”

It was first reported just under a year ago that Hasbro was considering the Boston move.

Pawtucket Mayor Don Grebien released the following statement:

“We are deeply disappointed that after more than 100 years of success here in Pawtucket, RI, Hasbro has decided to move its corporate headquarters to Boston.

While this decision was ultimately beyond our control, it is disheartening to see a company so deeply rooted in our community choose to turn its back on that history. This is a painful reality for the people of Pawtucket, who stood by Hasbro for over a century. We also empathize with the employees of Hasbro whose lives will be forever impacted by this decision.

The City of Pawtucket did absolutely everything possible to keep Hasbro here. We worked with highly respected architects and developers to put together a bold and comprehensive proposal to Hasbro’s leadership featuring a beautiful new headquarters on the banks of the Blackstone River, with direct pedestrian access to the new Tidewater entertainment district.

There is no question that our hearts are broken by this decision. However, when Pawtucket is faced with adversity, it strengthens our resiliency, and we come back even stronger. The city has seen nearly a billion dollars in new investments in recent years. From the recent opening of Centreville Bank Stadium, to our new commuter rail station, which has attracted multiple high-density residential development projects, to the brand new, state-of-the-art Pawtucket High School, to the possibilities presented by the former Apex properties, Pawtucket has a broad portfolio of economic development opportunities.

We will be working with Governor McKee’s Office, Commerce RI, Speaker Shekarchi, Senate President Lawson, and the General Assembly to create a plan to revitalize this prime real estate for exciting mixed-use development opportunities, continuing to revitalize our great city.”

Rhode Island House Minority Leader Michael Chippendale released the following statement:

“Once again, Rhode Island is left watching a major legacy company leave our state despite costly efforts to lure and retain businesses with taxpayer-funded incentive packages. This cycle repeats itself because our leaders fail to focus on improving our dismal, bottom-ranking business climate. Instead, we continue to try to compete in niche sector arenas where we cannot win against our larger neighbors, like Massachusetts.

We must stop chasing corporations with taxpayer-funded giveaways, focus on correcting what is driving this exodus, and improve our business climate for those that have invested in our state.  Good jobs for our residents and building a solid tax base depends on thoughtful action now. It requires leaders willing to change the status quo — that will fight for reform, not just talk about it while clutching their pearls.

It is time that Rhode Island accepts the reality of our geography. Our strength is on the water. With a world-class deep-water port at Quonset, our naval heritage, and a growing defense and shipbuilding sector, we have assets that cannot be replicated elsewhere in New England. We should focus our strategy and investment on strengthening Rhode Island’s role in maritime commerce, naval research, and defense manufacturing. That is how we create lasting jobs, expand our tax base, and build an economy that plays to our strengths.”

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee released a statement that reads in part:

“Hasbro has made positive contributions in business and philanthropy in our state, and we thank them for that. We maintain that Rhode Island is the best place for Hasbro to call home, and many more companies agree with that sentiment.

Under my administration, we’ve created more than 36,000 private sector jobs—an 8.8 percent increase—and over 6 million square feet of new development in Quonset, the I-195 Redevelopment District, and Amazon alone. We continue to attract and grow companies in innovative industries like ocean technology, life sciences, offshore wind, defense, cybersecurity, AI, logistics, and more.

Today’s announcement does not impede Rhode Island’s growth or economic success. Make no mistake: we are continuing to build on our progress and deliver good jobs for Rhode Islanders.”

This is a developing story, stay with ABC6 for further details.