LYNN — A warehouse on Linden Street will soon be the site of a 45,000 square-foot marijuana-cultivation facility.
The executives of Bostica, a cannabis cultivation and manufacturing company that owns the future facility, held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday morning with Mayor Thomas M. McGee, city councilors, and representatives of the Economic Development & Industrial Corporation (EDIC) of Lynn.
“This is a first-class grow facility,” said CEO Ray Falite. “This will be state of the art. There will not be another one like it in Massachusetts, and we will be the largest inside of (Route) 128.”
The facility represents a $20 million investment and will create up to 80 jobs. It will include space for the growing of cannabis plants, and will later manufacture oils, candies and other products, but will not have any retail space.
The building, which will soon house the business, is a former box factory; McGee noted that Bostica will bring back many of the jobs that were lost.
“About 15 years ago, I was filing medical marijuana legislation to make that available to people in Massachusetts, so I understood the value of it at that point,” McGee said. “It’s time people understood and embraced this type of investment and these kinds of opportunities.”
Ward 7 City Councilor Jay Walsh, who represents the area where the facility is located, said he was concerned about the surrounding neighborhood when he first heard about Bostica’s plans. However, after learning more about the legal cannabis industry and seeing the company’s commitment to working with the community, he became one of its strongest supporters.
“They’ve been good neighbors even before opening,” Walsh said. “I think they’re going to continue to be.”
