This rendition from Gorman Richardson Lewis Architects shows how the building at 17 Main Street is to look after it is remodeled.

The building at 17 Main Street, which was damaged by fire in 2020, is set to be reconstructed and expanded.

Hopkinton’s Gorman Richardson Lewis Architects, which is handling the redesign for owner Tom Carey and contractor John Burns, recently shared details of the plans.

There will be a first-floor expansion with additional retail/commercial space in the rear of the building. The second floor will include three apartments. The main floor will continue to be used for office space.

The redesign has received approval from the Historic District Commission, which is required because it sits in the Downtown Historic District, as well as the Planning Board. Carey said he hopes work will begin in early March.

The building originally was built around 1850. It is known to longtime residents at Dr. Joe’s house, as it served as the home and office of Dr. Joseph Ferdinand Annunziata Sr., at the time the only practicing physician in town, for 35 years until his death in 1977.

RE/MAX No. 1 in Top Places to Work

RE/MAX Executive Realty, which is based in Franklin and Hopkinton, was named the No. 1 midsize company in Massachusetts in The Boston Globe’s list of Top Places to Work.

“Our work has a purpose and is meaningful. Helping and caring for others is what we are all about,” the company stated via a press release announcing the achievement. “While our ‘work’ may be the foundation of RE/MAX Executive Realty, our heart of our organization is our people. We truly believe our agents and our employees are the heart and soul of our company. We are blessed with an amazing group of people who create a culture and an environment of honesty, professionalism, collaboration, generosity and fun! We are so grateful to have and support each other.”

Resident becomes partner at law firm

Hopkinton resident Joseph M. Cacace was elected to the partnership at Boston law firm Todd & Weld LLP effective Jan. 1.

According to a press release from the firm, Cacace, is a seasoned trial and appellate litigator who represents clients in complex civil disputes and appeals of all types, including business litigation, real estate litigation, class actions, civil rights cases, litigation against government agencies and employees, and defamation cases raising First Amendment issues.

A graduate of Boston College and Suffolk University Law School, Cacace has been named a Massachusetts Rising Star for Business Litigation by Super Lawyers every year since 2015, and he was selected by Best Lawyers in America to its list of Ones to Watch for commercial litigation in 2022.

Mass Audubon names regional director

Mass Audubon named Scott McCue as its new MetroWest regional director, which includes oversight of Hopkinton’s Waseeka Wildlife Sanctuary.

McCue succeeds Renata Pomponi, who has been promoted to senior regional director for the statewide conservation organization’s Metro Boston wildlife sanctuaries and programs.

McCue served as chief operating officer and dean of the Sposato Graduate School of Education in Boston until 2020. Previously, he founded and led a Grade 6-12 public school in Boston. Under his leadership, both educational institutions received national recognition. He also has worked with New England Forestry Foundation.

“We welcome Scott to Mass Audubon and look forward to his vision for advancing the value and importance of conservation and environmental education within our MetroWest communities,” Pomponi said in a Mass Audubon press release.

McCue said the conservation organization’s mission to connect people with nature “has never been more relevant or important to people’s lives. It certainly is to mine, and that relationship will continue to inform my commitment as I work with my new colleagues, Mass Audubon members, and visitors to our sanctuaries.”