Report: Hasbro might move from Pawtucket to Boston

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WLNE) — The toy company Hasbro might move its headquarters from Rhode Island to Boston.

This is according to a report from the Boston Business Journal.

According to the report, Hasbro officials have recently toured multiple downtown Boston office buildings for potential relocation.

The headquarters is currently located on Newport Avenue in Pawtucket.

This comes after Hasbro announced 20 percent of its workforce would be laid off by 2025 in an effort to save money due to lack of business.

Back in 2019, then governor, Gina Raimondo told WPRO Massachusetts officials were “aggressively courting” Hasbro to move its company into Massachusetts.

But Rhode Island officials were working to keep it within the state.

In a statement just sent to ABC6 a Hasbro officials said:

As Hasbro continues to evolve, we’re exploring options for our global headquarters to make sure it is a space that can best serve our employees, partners, and business needs for years to come. We’re taking our time, evaluating all options that can best support our team’s creativity and innovation, and will share updates on our progress. Regardless of the outcome and location, we remain committed to our history – not leaving it behind, but building on it.

Representative Karen Alzate, chairwoman of the House Special Legislation Committee also responded to the potential relocation of Hasbro:

As a member of the Pawtucket delegation in the general assembly and a proud life-long resident of Pawtucket, the recent news that Hasbro is considering leaving our city is disappointing. Since its inception, Hasbro continues to be a valued and storied member of our community and the good they have done for the people of Pawtucket and the state is immeasurable.

She continued to say that Rhode Island officials will work to ensure Hasbro remains in Pawtucket.

ABC6 reached out to Hasbro for a timeline of the relocation and how it will impact jobs within the state.

We’ve also reached out to Pawtucket’s mayor for a response.

ABC6 will bring you any additional information as it comes into our newsroom.