The Lyceum and vibrant communities

Scholars, government officials and business and community leaders have brought energy and creativity to The Lyceum for more than a century. Purchased by the Melville Charitable Trust in 2003 and renovated in 2019, it now provides meeting space to the community, non-profit and for-profit businesses.

The Lyceum prioritizes making meeting space available for policy makers and organizations committed to ending homelessness and righting social injustices to eliminate housing discrimination and to ensure equal affordable housing opportunity for all people in all communities throughout Connecticut. 

Role of Forge City Works

Forge City Works operates The Lyceum on behalf of the Melville Charitable Trust as one of their social enterprises. Originally founded in 2007 as Billings Forge Community Works, rebranded in 2017, but our mission remains the same—using the power of food to change lives, build connections, and create opportunities.

Food is at the heart of everything we do. It fuels our job training programs, sustains our social enterprises, and brings people together. Through our social enterprises, we provide hands-on culinary and customer service training and increase access to fresh, affordable food—helping individuals gain skills, confidence, and stability while strengthening our community.

Here’s how we do it:
By using food as a force for good, we empower people, create meaningful opportunities, and strengthen our community—all while serving up something delicious.

• Fire by Forge – Our full-service restaurant, café, bar, and catering social enterprise, Fire by Forge is a chef-driven, Pan-American-inspired concept that highlights fresh, local, and sustainable ingredients. It’s also a key training ground, giving trainees real-world experience in a professional kitchen and front-of-house setting, preparing them for careers in the food industry. https://www.firebyforge.com/
• The Grocery on Broad – Our neighborhood market is built on the idea that fresh, high-quality food should be accessible to everyone. With a Fair Pricing Model, The Grocery on Broad ensures that affordability isn’t a barrier to good food, helping more people eat well while supporting the local food system. https://www.groceryonbroad.com/