BROCKTON, Massachusetts. — November 13, 2025 (By Yves Cajuste, Managing Editor, InfoHaïti.net)
A long-vacant Salvation Army building on Main Street has been reborn as Brockton Liquors, a $5 million investment that city officials and community leaders praised Thursday as a milestone in Brockton’s downtown revitalization and an example of the kind of private-sector commitment the city hopes to replicate in the coming years.
After more than a year of construction, Maria and Domingos Veiga — known in the business community for two decades of entrepreneurship in Brockton — cut the ribbon on their expanded liquor store, drawing elected officials, newly elected city councilors, business owners and dozens of residents. The opening marks one of the largest single private investments made in the downtown district by a locally rooted family business in the past 2 years.
“We want people to invest in our community, to trust and believe in this city”, Mayor-Elect Moises Rodrigues
This property had been abandoned for a long time,” Mayor-Elect Moises Rodrigues said after touring the site in an exclusive interview with InfoHaïti.net/MCTV. “Domingos believed in it, invested in it and turned it into something that now creates jobs and revenue for our community. This is exactly the kind of investment Brockton needs.
Rodrigues, who visited the store before the formal ceremony, said the project encapsulates a message his administration intends to promote aggressively in 2026 — that Brockton is “open for business” and ready for new development. He called the Veiga family’s effort a model for the kind of private-sector partnership the city wants to encourage.
“We want people to invest in our community, to trust and believe in this city,” Rodrigues said. “Brockton may not be the wealthiest city, but our residents deserve beautiful spaces, clean streets and businesses that reflect pride. That’s the significance of this investment.”
A symbolic transformation on Main Street
For years, the building sat empty, a reminder of stalled redevelopment efforts and the challenges facing Brockton’s aging commercial district. Restoring the property required extensive interior and exterior renovation, from structural repairs to a complete redesign of the retail space.
Now fully modernized and glowing with new life, the store ranks among the most significant small-business investments on Main Street (between Pleasant and East Ashland Streets — a distinction officials underscored throughout the event.
“This property was in rough shape for years, and now look at it,” said Ward 6 City Councilor Jack Lally. “This is the kind of work we point to when we talk about building up Brockton. What the Veiga family has done here is something the entire city can be proud of.”
Councilors-elect Jeff Charnel and Carla M. DaRosa, both newly chosen to serve citywide, echoed that sentiment, calling the business “a beacon” of what is possible when local entrepreneurs reinvest in the community.
Charnel, who also chairs the Brockton’s Licensing Commission, noted that projects like this begin long before ribbon-cuttings, with months — sometimes years — of approvals, permitting, reviews and logistical hurdles that most residents never see.
“People forget that every project starts at the commissions,” said Charnel, who is also a banker. “But families like the Veigas stick with it. They navigate every challenge, they meet every requirement, and they do it because they believe in Brockton. Starting with one location and growing to several, they’ve shown that small businesses can thrive here.”
A family story at the center of Brockton’s economic renewal
For Domingos Veiga, the store’s owner, Thursday’s event marked not just the completion of a business expansion but a personal milestone that began nearly 25 years ago when he and his wife purchased their first liquor store in Brockton.
“Brockton Liquors was the first store my wife and I opened in 2001, and today we are proud to see it grow to this beautiful, expanded location,” Veiga said during his remarks. He credited his wife, Maria, his son Nuno and longtime staff members for carrying the business through years of growth. “None of this would be possible without the support of my family.”
His daughter, Attorney Darice Veiga, offered a deeply personal reflection on what the project represents for their family and for the city.
“This moment holds deep meaning for us because behind every long day and every challenge, it all started right here, with my parents turning a simple dream into something real,” she said, holding back emotion. “When they arrived in this country, they carried a vision to build a better life through integrity and determination.”
She noted that Brockton Liquors is the city’s only location that holds both a retail and wholesale license — something she attributed to the trust and respect her parents have earned over two decades.
“It’s more than a business,” she said. “It’s a symbol of growth, resilience and possibility right here in Brockton.”
Business leaders welcome this investment.
Several prominent members of Brockton’s small-business community attended the event, including Signature Kitchen co-owner Marline Amedee, Perfect Place owner Fred Fontaine and Vicente’s Supermarket executive Jason Barbosa.
Brockton has spent the past several years trying to reposition its downtown area as a destination for new development. Although several projects are underway — including housing conversions and mixed-use proposals — progress has been inconsistent. Long-term vacancies, aging infrastructure and slow permitting processes have been obstacles for many would-be developers. City officials say increasing visibility of unhoused residents in the downtown district highlights wider regional housing issues and underscores the need for coordinated social services support and investment.
Mayor-Elect Rodrigues acknowledged these challenges in his interview with MCTV/InfoHaïti.net but said they underscore the significance of Thursday’s opening.
“Our city has been held back for a long time by abandoned properties poorly maintained streets and a lack of private investment,” he said. “But we want to change that. We want to beautify our city and make it a place people are proud to visit, work in and live in.”
Rodrigues said Brockton’s next phase of economic growth depends on cultivating a climate that makes investments like the Veigas’ routine rather than exceptional.
“It’s not fair that nice things are reserved for other communities and not Brockton,” he said. “Our residents deserve beautiful buildings, clean streets and businesses that make our community feel vibrant and alive.”
Mayor-Elect Rodrigues made these remarks in an exclusive interview with MCTV/InfoHaïti.net just before the formal opening of Brockton Liquors last Thursday on Main Street.
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