Hasbro Toying With Move to Boston

It’s not Baltic Avenue to Boardwalk, but Hasbro is considering rolling the dice and switching spaces in New England.

The Rhode Island-based toy giant is weighing a relocation from Pawtucket to downtown Boston, the Boston Business Journal reported. The company reportedly toured several spaces in the area recently, though the suburbs are an option for Hasbro as well.

A move to Beantown wouldn’t just be a boon for the morale of office landlords in the city. It would also be a major boost for one lucky landlord’s balance sheet; Hasbro is reportedly seeking between 200,000 and 250,000 square feet, which could lead to one of the city’s largest office leases since the pandemic.

“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,” chief communications officer Roberta Thomson said.

Hasbro’s needs may go beyond a traditional office: The company is also reportedly looking for a location where it can install a research and development production space.

Hasbro’s long called The Ocean State its home, dating back to its founding in Providence. The company owns its 343,000-square-foot Pawtucket headquarters, as well as a smaller building next door.

But Hasbro has been untangling its Rhode Island roots. Last year, the company announced it would depart an office in downtown Providence when its lease expires early next year. That revelation came at the same time as an 1,100-person round of layoffs.

Hasbro wouldn’t be the first big toymaker to make a home in Boston. Last year, Lego announced it would be moving its corporate headquarters from Enfield, Connecticut to Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood by 2026. It’s taking more than 100,000 square feet as it builds a footprint in the area.

— Holden Walter-Warner