Worcester Infill and Developments

[WormtownNative]

A bit of news:

First off some news about the airport. - It's ARFF station has been renovated.

Image courtesy Worcester Regional Airport Facebook page

Article from MassLive:

Worcester's great hope for more airlines at Worcester Regional Airport still alive

By Michael D. Kane

WORCESTER -- State and city officials cut the ribbon of Worcester Regional Airport's newly-renovated aircraft rescue and firefighting station on Friday, hopeful that it will herald more carriers to the airport that once saw 354,000 passengers go through its gates a year.

Though in attendance to open a fire station, speaker after speaker talked about economic development and the importance having a regional airport is, not only to Worcester's economy, but to that of Central Massachusetts as a whole.

"We're not only a transportation agency, but an economic development agency," MassPort Chief Executive Officer Thomas Glynn said.

City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. said the state, city and private partnerships that have helped renovate the airport are now at work looking to bring more carriers to Worcester, helping to return it to what he described as a "thriving, booming place that took people to all corners of the world and brought people from all corners of the world to Worcester."

MassPort's relationship with Worcester's airport dates back decades said Timothy Murray, a former Worcester mayor and lieutenant governor and now president of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Murray said Governor Paul Celluci, himself a Central Mass. resident, recognized the airport's importance to the area when he asked MassPort to assume the operations of the airport.

People flying into the area stay in local hotels, eat in local restaurants and make purchases in local stores, Murray said.

"We know that when we open up to the state, it is really beneficial to everybody," Murray said. "When you have planes, trains, automobiles coming and going, that generates people and activity and investment."

But, state law prevented the agency from investing in the facility, since it did not own it, Murray said. Among the early initiatives of former Gov. Deval Patrick was to convince MassPort to buy the airport from the city, Murray said.

The state takeover was completed in 2010, and in the intervening years, MassPort has stayed true to its commitment to invest in the facility, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said. The fire station cost $5.5 million in renovation and equipment.

"It shows momentum, it shows commitment and we are very grateful for that continued understanding, not only for emergency services, but for economic development," Polito said.

The renovations and upgrades now allow fire and safety officers at MassPort to deal with any type of incident that may happen, Polito said. The improvements will not only allow Jet Blue, to extend its services, but help draw other carriers, Poilito said.

"We have an economic vitality here in Worcester that is energized," Polito said. "We have strong leadership, we have strong collaboration and partnerships and we need to continue to make the right investments to signal to our current business owners and employers and to those we want to attract that this airport is important to us."

FULL ARTICLE

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New Nelson Place school to be built. Construction starts in a year.

Worcester to break ground for new $58 million school on Monday

By Michael D. Kane

WORCESTER -- City officials will break ground Monday of Worcester's new Nelson Place School. The $58 million project is expected to be ready for students by August, 2017.

The new school will be 111,682 square feet and hold 600 students. It will host expanded pre-kindergarten and special education programs and produce a minimum of 76 percent of its own electricity on site through the use of solar arrays, according to a press release from the city.

The original Nelson Place School opened in 1927. Additions to the school were built in 1954 and 1968. Even with those additions, it is considered half of the square footage "considered acceptable by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) to meet modern educational standards," the release states. It currently serves 490 students.

The 88-year-old building is also considered "structurally unsound."

"Due to mechanical, electrical, and building envelope deficiencies, the existing school facility will be demolished to make way for a completely new building," the release states.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority will cover about $33 million of the project. The city is expected to spend about $25 million.

FULL ARTICLE

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Lastly, former publisher of Worcester Magazine has bought the only vacant parcel of land left in Kelley Sq. Some of you going through the area over the years might remember it for having all the donation bins or the concert there a year or 2 ago.

Image of lot courtesy MassLive

Kelley Square lot sells for $900,000

Worcester businessman Allen Fletcher has purchased the open lot in Kelley Square at the corner of Green and Harding Streets and is exploring a mixed-use development that would add more housing to the city's Canal District.

Fletcher purchased the 1.3-acre lot for $900,000 on May 20 from developers that he said had been looking to build a gas station on the property. The property, which abuts the Crompton Place building, was last sold in 2006 for $910,000.

This is a premium commercial lot in the city, Fletcher said, with zoning through the Commercial Corridors Overlay District that allows for a mix of commercial and residential uses.

"I want to reinforce the incredibly good things that are happening here," said Fletcher, who chairs the Canal District Alliance. "We've had incredible success here based on 25 different merchants that stake their own flag in the ground. What I am trying to do is reinforce that."

FULL ARTICLE

Thank God he bought it. Another gas station isn't going to bring life to that area. Something possibly mixed-use will.

 

[WormtownNative]

I also don't think that this will hurt Worcester either.

Becker to establish 'social business' center

Becker College has agreed to establish a center that will focus on how business can identify and solve social problems, working with the Seven Hills Foundation, the Worcester school announced.

The center will be called the Yunus Social Business Centre, named for Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi economist and social entrepreneur who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

Becker is one of a handful of higher education institutions around the world — and the first in the United States — to establish a Yunus site.
Representatives of both institutions, joined by David Jordan, president and CEO of Seven Hills and a member of Becker's board of trustees, signed a memorandum of understanding this week in Bangladesh, according to a statement from the college.

"The Yunus Social Business Centre @ Becker College complements our mission and vision, and expands the global concept of education we provide," said Becker President Robert Johnson. "We believe in Yunus' approach to social business because business is uniquely positioned to address need, create value, and drive profit which, in turn, can expand the reach, impact, and sustainability of the solution."

FULL ARTICLE

 

[393b40]

Thank God he bought it. Another gas station isn't going to bring life to that area. Something possibly mixed-use will.

Yep this is fantastic news for the area. Continuing the revitalization of this part of town is essential to Worcester because it is the connector neighborhood between Vernon Hill and downtown. It's also one of the few dense and walkable areas in the city.

 

[WormtownNative]

Confirming my suspicions......

Allen Fletcher says Canal District reinvigoration is goal of Kelley Square land purchase

By Michael D. Kane

WORCESTER -- Worcester businessman Allen Fletcher said his purchase and planned development of an empty lot at Kelley Square furthers one of his driving goals: reinvigorating Worcester's Canal District.

"This is where I have lived for the past 12 years," Fletcher said. "I am committed to the Canal District."

Fletcher, chairman of the Canal District Alliance, has purchased an open lot next to Crompton Place at the corner of Harding and Green streets. Fletcher paid $900,000 for the lot.

The alliance actively promotes the area, is pushing to re-open the Blackstone Canal beneath Harding Street and sponsors the annual Blackstone Canalfest, a popular street festival each fall.

Fletcher said he plans to introduce a mixed-zoning development for the spot. Currently, he is in the planning stage, which requires tenant and market research, he said.

"This isn't something that is going to happen overnight," he said. "I have tentative architectural plans, now I have to see how they pan out.

FULL ARTICLE

 

[SlothofDespond]

The Kelley Square news is great--an unnecessary third gas station in that intersection would have been a downer. The triangle between Green and Water Street has so much potential. Anchoring it with some a mixed residential-commercial project on the point could really drive some development down there.

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Slightly related: does anyone have thoughts on whoever is making decisions about road work in Worcester--e.g., lines, lane choices, interestion design, etc.? Some of the choices seem odd: unnecessary "turn only" lanes where few cars ever turn, crazy lane markings through intersections, odd sidewalk design choices.

 

[WormtownNative]

Slightly related: does anyone have thoughts on whoever is making decisions about road work in Worcester--e.g., lines, lane choices, interestion design, etc.? Some of the choices seem odd: unnecessary "turn only" lanes where few cars ever turn, crazy lane markings through intersections, odd sidewalk design choices.

Which roads? Depending on the portion and where, it's either MassDOT or Worcester DPW.

Sidewalks are almost always Worcester DPW - and some are insanely frustrating from a variety of reasons: trees/brush growing over them so much you get hit with branches or have to duck to get by, narrow (maybe 3 feet with a telephone pole a 1/3rd the way through it), or just non-existent where they should be. And that's just in my neighborhood.

On a region-wide level, WalkBike Worcester is the major advocate here. There are more than enough streets that beg to be dieted - with sidewalks, cycle tracks, and everything else. But it takes advocacy and use of the infrastructure to justify the cost (which is hard to do because everyone views Worcester from a car and not their own 2 feet).

 

[SlothofDespond]

Which roads? Depending on the portion and where, it's either MassDOT or Worcester DPW.

Sidewalks are almost always Worcester DPW - and some are insanely frustrating from a variety of reasons: trees/brush growing over them so much you get hit with branches or have to duck to get by, narrow (maybe 3 feet with a telephone pole a 1/3rd the way through it), or just non-existent where they should be. And that's just in my neighborhood.

A few examples:

1. Downtown: street corners feature two handicap ramps crossing each street, however in between the ramps at the apex of the corner is a chunk of curb that isn't tapered in any way. It's a major tripping hazard for pedestrians. In Boston the entire corner is simply lowered and it works so much better.

2. Lincoln Square: I have NO IDEA what all the lines on the ground mean. I drive through every day and there are lines everywhere pointing in crazy directions and guiding turning vehicles. Whoever is dropping white street paint is out of their mind with it. Also, you basically have to change lanes ever 100 yards because different turn only lanes pop up at every light. It's weight like that all down Major Taylor Blvd.

3. Pleasant Street/Corner of Moreland: A street light was installed. It's now easier to turn off Moreland but Pleasant Street gets backed up to a crazy degree during rush hour in the area now.

4. Flagg Street: The odd turn where Richmond Street continues, if you want to stay on Flagg there is a bizarre turn only lane cut into the side of the road. It's basically such that no one will ever use it--instead someone crammed a turn only lane into 10' of space because they were trained that way, or something.

5. The bloated street light poles. They are big and dark colored and hideous. No idea where they came from but they're clunky and visually stick out.

There are so many more.

 

[WormtownNative]

A few examples:

1. Downtown: street corners feature two handicap ramps crossing each street, however in between the ramps at the apex of the corner is a chunk of curb that isn't tapered in any way. It's a major tripping hazard for pedestrians. In Boston the entire corner is simply lowered and it works so much better.

It's likely an older curb, DPW probably hasn't gotten to it yet. Whenever they do sidewalks they do the yellow grip pads on a lowered corner.

2. Lincoln Square: I have NO IDEA what all the lines on the ground mean. I drive through every day and there are lines everywhere pointing in crazy directions and guiding turning vehicles. Whoever is dropping white street paint is out of their mind with it. Also, you basically have to change lanes ever 100 yards because different turn only lanes pop up at every light. It's weight like that all down Major Taylor Blvd.

You can blame MassDOT for that mess. Belmont St. and Highland are Rt. 9 (yes, the same Rt. 9 that runs to Huntington Ave in Boston). Lincoln St. on the whole is a mess and actually used to be a rotary back in the day. That will eventually be fixed down the road when they reconfigure it. But it needs a bit of a road diet on Major Taylor Blvd and it's in the hands of MassDOT with Rt. 9 running through it.

3. Pleasant Street/Corner of Moreland: A street light was installed. It's now easier to turn off Moreland but Pleasant Street gets backed up to a crazy degree during rush hour in the area now.

Chalk that one up to MassDOT. Residents aren't really happy about it either.

4. Flagg Street: The odd turn where Richmond Street continues, if you want to stay on Flagg there is a bizarre turn only lane cut into the side of the road. It's basically such that no one will ever use it--instead someone crammed a turn only lane into 10' of space because they were trained that way, or something.

5. The bloated street light poles. They are big and dark colored and hideous. No idea where they came from but they're clunky and visually stick out.

Street lights belonged to National Grid until about 5 or so years ago when the city purchased them. As the city replaces them, they're slowly swapping them out for the black ornamental iron looking ones.

There are so many more.

Hope that clears some things up for you.

 

[WormtownNative]

Some great news from a friend of a non-profit I'm involved with - Dunkin's franchisee and Real Estate Developer, Rob Branca.

New developer to take on El Morocco property in Worcester

By Walter Bird Jr.

Having become a graffiti-covered eyesore, a dilapidated remnant of much grander days long passed, the long-vacant El Morocco Restaurant may finally be put out of its misery.

Branded Realty, led by President Rob Branca, has reached an agreement to buy the property and make good on previous plans to convert it into a multi-unit, market-rate housing complex "with spectacular views."

The project requires approval by the Planning Board, which will take up the proposal at its next meeting Wednesday, June 24 at 5:30 p.m.

According to Branca, his company will buy the property that sits high atop a hill at 100 Wall St. from City View Apartments LLC (CVA), which acquired the property after it was foreclosed on by Central One Credit Union. The previous owner was Acorn Allocations LLC of Shrewsbury, which also had planned to build an apartment complex on the site. It had received Planning Board approval around this time last year.

CVA, Branca said, intended to do the same, but ran into more challenges than expected.

"They realized they had the permits ... and they could sell it to somebody used to dealing with challenging properties," Branca said.

Enter Branded Realty, which previously renovated the property at 72 Shrewsbury St. that now houses Sweet Restaurant and Bar, Volturno Restaurant, The Hidden Jewel, Wormtown Brewery and Worcester Magazine.

Branca said his company's plans will feature roughly the same number of proposed units, 59-60, but would be engineered slightly different.

"We will probably change the plans they had approved," he said. "We'd like to do a roof deck if we can. They had laundry units [in their proposal]. We'd like to put a washer and dryer in the units. It makes them more marketable."

Branca said a roof deck would help compensate for lack of green space on the property, allowing residents to use the roof and look out over the city.

As for parking, he said the property would meet city requirements, at least two spaces per unit, which would require roughly 120 parking spaces.

In the meantime, Branca said the current owner would be cutting down trees and clearing overgrowth from the property, because of concerns from the city. His company, he said, is doing its "environmental due diligence," but other than some ledge on the property, he does not expect other complications, such as contamination.

"I think it's going to be good for the neighborhood," Branca said. "The neighborhoods surrounding the immediate area are pretty good neighborhoods. It's just the immediate vicinity has got some challenges. A lot of those properties were family-owned, now they're not. But you're already starting to see changes."

FULL ARTICLE

Google Map of the area: (property outlined in red)

 

[atltransplant]

Some old, but good, news about the higgins armory.



http://preservationworcester.org/pa...plansforWorcester_sHigginsArmory_2-7-2015.pdf

 

[WormtownNative]

Holy sh*t.........pinch me, I must be dreaming.

City manager: Worcester should embrace food trucks

By Nick Kotsopoulos
Telegram & Gazette Staff

Posted Jun. 21, 2015 at 6:58 PM

WORCESTER – The city wants to become more food truck friendly.

City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. said his administration is developing strategies to improve the business climate for food truck operators, who were pretty much given the bum’s rush some seven years ago when regulations were adopted making it a more difficult for them to operate here.

Mr. Augustus said the strategies are intended to further assist both existing and prospective food truck operators.

He said they include creating a new permitting guide to assist food truck operators to navigate the permit process under existing conditions, as well as exploring the feasibility of a “Food Truck Friendly Permit,” which would simplify the regulatory process for food trucks seeking to operate in pre-approved zones.

The manager said the guide will be available on the city’s website as soon as it is fully reviewed and approved by the appropriate city departments.

Mr. Augustus said city officials are also looking at the potential of streamlining the permitting process for food trucks, as well as designating areas of the city as appropriate locations for the operation of food trucks.
The streamlined process would incorporate designated areas of the city as appropriate locations for the operation of food trucks. Two areas being looked at are Worcester Common and Elm Park.

“Implementation of the strategy is being led by the Executive Office of Economic Development, but also involves significant coordination with other municipal departments,” Mr. Augustus wrote in a report that goes before the City Council Tuesday night.

Under existing rules, food truck operators need to obtain a Hawkers and Peddlers License (a state license administered by the Police Department); a Stationary Vendor License issued by the Department of Public Works and Parks, and a permit to operate a mobile food unit issued by the Department of Inspectional Services.

Fees for all those licenses and permits could total about $500, according to Michael E. Traynor, the city’s chief development officer, with some of the fees recurring annually.

Mr. Traynor said city officials are exploring the feasibility of reducing the cost of licensing/permitting by implementing a “Food Truck Friend Permit,” although the fee has not yet been determined.

He said the initial plan for the Food Truck Friendly Zones would start with certain areas around the Common and Elm Park.

As part of the implementation of those zones, he said, operating hours and frequency of health inspections of the food trucks will be determined.

“After demonstrating success with the pilot zones, the administration would consider other areas of the city that may also be designated Food Truck Friendly Zones,” Mr. Traynor said.

In 2008, the City Council placed limitations on food truck vendors by restricting their length of stopping time – they have to move at least 500 feet every five minutes – and hours of operation.

They are also prohibited from conducting business near "brick-and-mortar” restaurants and the DCU Center.

The restrictions were adopted, in part, to address restaurant owners’ complaints of unfair competition. They have long argued that food truck operators are able to conduct business without being saddled by costly property tax or insurance expenses.

FULL ARTICLE

I have long been in favor of food trucks coming to Worcester. If Worcester could take Boston's food truck regulations, make a few modifications, and adopt it into city ordinance, we could very well be on our way to making areas of the city appealing again. Food trucks down near the DCU are a no-brainer - as are areas all over the city.

For some reason restaurateurs out here are scared of a kitchen on wheels. Yet they don't have the same level of hate for new restaurants - which doesn't make any sense. IMO, The only restaurants that should be scared are the ones that are getting by solely based on lack of competition. The 2008 ordinance was a simple bully tactic. And the politicians and City Hall are finally realizing what a mistake that was to listen to the kids who cried wolf.

All I can say is, it's about freaking time.

 

[WormtownNative]

Hotel construction boom whets Worcester's appetite for visitors

By Lonnie Shekhtman
Correspondent

Posted Jul. 5, 2015 at 6:00 AM
Updated at 5:03 PM

WORCESTER - City officials hope that the opening of a new hotel early next year will bring Worcester one step closer to attracting conventions to the DCU Center that could bring thousands more people to lodge here and to spend money at local businesses.

A 100-room Hampton Inn, a Hilton hotel, is under construction. The hotel will open for business in early 2016, said Mark R. Stebbins, managing partner at Hooksett, N.H.-based XSS Hotels, a development and management company.
The new hotel on 65 Prescott St. abuts the Courtyard by Marriott on 72 Grove St., which has been part of XSS’ portfolio of 2,000 hotel rooms throughout the Northeast since 1999.

“We felt that there is some growth and that these brands were needed,” said Mr. Stebbins, of the demand for hotel rooms in the city. His company is also planning to build a 150-room Renaissance Hotel, a Marriott hotel, on Front Street in CitySquare. A construction date has not been set.

A 110-room Homewood Suites hotel, in Washington Square across the rotary from Union Station, is also due to break ground by end of the year.

Though the 360 additional rooms are a great sign of progress for Worcester, for now all they will do is generously replenish the 243 rooms lost when the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Lincoln Square closed in 2010 when its owners defaulted on a mortgage. That building has since been converted into dorms and classroom space by MCPHS University.

The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce says additional rooms will help draw bigger conventions to Worcester.

“We would love to see more hotel rooms,” said Christina Andreoli, vice president at the chamber. “The more rooms we have, the more chance we have of securing events and conventions and meetings within a certain market.”

Today, there are 745 hotel rooms in Worcester, spread among seven hotels, with an occupancy rate of 75 percent throughout the year, according to data compiled for Destination Worcester by hotel research firm STR Global.

This is well above the hotel industry’s average occupancy rate of 65 percent, according to Lodging Econometrics, another hotel research firm based in Portsmouth, N.H.

“It’s a huge improvement to have three hotels coming online,” said Sandra Dunn, general manager at DCU Center. “That’s kudos to Worcester.”

For years, Worcester officials have been pressing for more hotel rooms in the city, which they say will help draw larger conventions of out-of-town visitors who will generate hotel tax revenue and spend money in local eateries and at other businesses.

Today, dozens of events held at the DCU Center – from dance competitions to hockey tournaments -- draw between 2,500 and 5,000 people, according to the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Northeast Knockout, a two-day cheerleading competition that has come to the DCU Center every January since at least 2009, attracts approximately 5,000 people who spend money on meals, parking and gas. Some stay in Worcester hotels.

This brings half a million dollars of revenue to Worcester, according to Chamber of Commerce estimates.

But it could bring more. Northeast Knockout competitors and fans use about 1,600 hotel rooms, of which half can be found in Worcester. This means cheerleaders and their families – and hotel, meal and other business revenues – spread to surrounding communities, as far as Boston, according to Destination Worcester, a city-funded tourism marketing program run by the Chamber of Commerce.

“We’re missing out on that (revenue) when we house people outside of Worcester,” said Ms. Dunn.

Convention organizers for events that draw more than 5,000 people won’t bring their events to Worcester because of a dearth of hotel rooms, Ms. Andreoli said.

The DCU Center, in partnership with the College of the Holy Cross, has been courting the first and second rounds and the regional portion of the popular NCAA college basketball tournament March Madness. The monthlong tournament holds games at venues around the country. Getting a few events to Worcester could bring 40,000 people to the city, Ms. Dunn said.

The NCAA held events here in 1992 and 2005. It hasn’t selected Worcester as a venue again because of limited hotel rooms, said Ms. Dunn, but the DCU Center and Holy Cross ambitiously continue bidding for the event.

“We want to stay in the mind’s eye of the NCAA,” Ms. Dunn explained.
Their perseverance might pay off as more hotels come online.

The Hampton Inn is expected to open in the winter, said Mr. Stebbins of XSS Hotels. The company recently sold the Residence Inn at 503 Plantation St., which it owned and operated for the last decade, to NorthStar Realty Finance Corp., a publicly held commercial real estate investment firm. Mr. Stebbins said the new owner will continue to operate the hotel under the same name.

XSS Hotels will start building the Renaissance Inn in CitySquare six months after Roseland, a local subsidiary of publicly held real estate investment firm Mack-Cali Realty Corporation, breaks ground on the 370 residential apartments nearby, so the two properties can open at the same time, said Mr. Stebbins. Worcester’s chief development officer, Michael E. Traynor, said he expects construction of those apartments to begin in fall.

Mr. Traynor said he also expects Fall River-based developer First Bristol Corp. to begin building a Homewood Suites, a Hilton extended-stay hotel for business travelers, by the end of the year. The hotel will be located on Summer Street near the Washington Square roundabout, at the former site of the KJ Baarons Fine Wine & Spirits store.

FULL ARTICLE

Image & Graphic from T&G:

 

[WormtownNative]

Some industrial news......

Worcester approves tax deal for $26M project in Quinsig Village

By Nick Kotsopoulos
Telegram & Gazette Staff

Posted Jun. 23, 2015 at 10:12 PM
Updated Jun 23, 2015 at 10:18 PM

WORCESTER - A planned $26 million redevelopment project in the Quinsigamond Village area will receive a $5.4 million tax break from the city over a 15-year period.

In unanimously approving a tax increment financing deal for the project Tuesday night, city councilors said they viewed it as an investment on the city's part because the project is expected to generate at least 300 jobs and $1.4 million in property tax revenues annually upon completion.

The project will also increase the total assessed value of the existing property from $10.2 million to $31.45 million.

"Simply put, this is a very good development and a good developer," District 2 Councilor Philip P. Palmieri said. "The local jobs that will be created from this will generate much more in tax revenue for the community."

The project site, located at 150 Blackstone River Road, consists of 32 acres
west of Route 146 and has a blighted 632,000-square-foot building.

The owner of the property is 150 Blackstone River Road, LLC, and it plans to renovate the building into a 576,000-square-foot, multi-use high bay industrial building.

Councilor-at-Large Frederick C. Rushton, chairman of the City Council Economic Development Committee, said the project is a symbol of Worcester's industrial past and its future.

He said it is the type of development that can be attributed to CSX moving its regional freight yard to the city a few years ago. With more freight coming into the city, he said, he believes that companies will be looking to establish distribution centers and warehouses in Worcester.

He pointed out that the Quinsigamond Village site not only has convenient highway access (Route 146), but it is also near a railroad line.

"We are in a good position to take on these type of developments," Mr. Rushton said. "I am pleased with this developer who is committed to local jobs and working with local contractors. This is a function of what we've known all along and that is Worcester's strong industrial past."

District 3 Councilor George J. Russell, whose district includes the Quinsigamond Village area, praised the developer for the efforts he made in meeting with neighborhood residents and listening to their concerns about the impact the project might have.

The development group was formed in 2013 through the union of Mid-States Packaging Inc., a tenant of the property for more than 30 years, and GFI Partners, a real estate development company.

City officials consider the project key, because Worcester does not have sufficient modern industrial space that features high ceilings and loading docks.

One of the reasons for the tax increment financing deal, also known as a TIF, is so the developer can offer competitive lease rates to tenants.

The project is designed to attract local, regional and national distribution companies, as well as third party logistics, light manufacturing, assembly and warehouse companies looking to serve this region and greater New England.

FULL ARTICLE

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

I love that Google has called that a "Potential 'Kayak' site??" for like 2 years now without fixing it.

That site along 146 is actually P&W's intermodal yard, not CSX's.

 

[WormtownNative]

I love that Google has called that a "Potential 'Kayak' site??" for like 2 years now without fixing it.

That site along 146 is actually P&W's intermodal yard, not CSX's.

Google also updated its imagery of downtown Worcester and the CSX yard, but still not fixed that.

And yep, that's our wonderful politicians screwing facts up again out here.......

 

[WormtownNative]

So the former Duddie/Diamond car dealership on Park Ave may be getting redeveloped down the line.

From Worcester Mag's weekly Worcesteria column:

DATING FOR DEVELOPERS: The vacant former Duddie Diamond property near Clark University might not be vacant for long. Consultant Neil Treitman told the Columbus Park Neighborhood Association the goal was to turn the more than six acres of land on Park Ave into mixed-use, market-rate housing and retail space. He stressed, however, that if the project was a wedding, “this is the first date.” Still, residents seemed to appreciate the copious advance notice they got. “Coming to us at this stage is wonderful,” resident Jerry Powers said. “The constant complaint is no one tells us anything and then it's done, and this is the opposite of that.” Treitman's vision, which he is pursuing on behalf of the landowner and potential developer, is to create a space “students at Clark would like to take their parents' credit cards to.” He said they would be seeking a TIF, which is sure to garner interest in Worcester's politically active community, as it entails giving taxpayer money to incentivize a developer to invest in Worcester. Treitman – or, rather, someone who know more about social media, he said – will be running a Facebook page for the site to solicit ideas of what retailers should go in the bottom floor, with the idea being to attract name-brand national chains such as Starbucks to anchor the property, with the potential for local businesses to profit off the draw those stores bring.

Full column can be found HERE.

 

[WormtownNative]

While I'm at it, here's a couple more bits of news, courtesy of the Worcester Business Journal

First, Worcester Academy has purchased the rest of the old St. Vincent's property up on Union Hill.

Worcester Academy's purchase of ex-St. Vincent property sets stage for performance center

By: Carol McDonald

Worcester Academy has completed the purchase of the remaining 6 acres of former St. Vincent Hospital property along Providence Street.

The president of the school's board of trustees, Henry Dormitzer, said in a statement Wednesday that the acquisition reinforces Worcester Academy's commitment to the Union Hill neighborhood, and paves the way for construction of a new Worcester Academy South Campus Performance Center.

The parcel, sold by Liberty Properties of Boston, includes a portion of the old St. Vincent Hospital building still standing on the site, a parking lot, and a vacant former generator building. The generator building, off Marion Avenue, will serve as the primary footprint for the performance center. The building will be expanded to include seating for 120, a box office, dressing rooms, a green room, gallery space and an open air patio.
The remaining portion of the former St. Vincent Hospital building still standing will remain vacant, Dormitzer said. The school will close exterior walls, seal it from the elements, and make some modest improvements to the exterior, he said.

The new property is contiguous to 9 acres of former hospital land that Worcester Academy previously purchased from Liberty: roughly 6 acres in 2007 and another 3 acres in 2010, the statement said. Those two portions of the property had remained largely vacant after St. Vincent's sold the property and moved downtown in 2000.

Acquisition of those parcels led to the construction of Morse Field, a lighted, synthetic field which — like other Worcester Academy Fields — is available to neighborhood residents, schools, and community groups. Nearby Union Hill School uses the field for recess, PE classes, and events.

FULL ARTICLE

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Secondly, it's official - MassPort is hoping to add another carrier to Worcester:

Worcester Airport: Massport seeking additional carriers

By: Sam Bonacci

The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) board of directors has extended and expanded an incentive program designed to pull in another carrier for the Worcester Regional Airport.

"With the current JetBlue service we've demonstrated that the airport is a convenient and effective alternative. It's now our challenge to increase air service to and from Worcester and this program will stimulate that effort," Massport Board Chairman Michael Angelini said in a statement.

The board voted on June 18 to extend the Worcester Air Service Incentive Program that was set to expire on June 30. The board also voted to expand the program that was first introduced in 2012.

The updated Worcester Air Service Incentive Program will run from July 1, 2015 through June 20, 2018 and will increase the marketing assistance from the current $75,000 to $100,000 per new destination while also allowing airlines to participate in cooperative marketing efforts with Massport. The program also provides carriers with rebates of airport fees for two years.

According to Massport, this program was instrumental in attracting JetBlue, which began daily roundtrip service between Worcester and both Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. in November 2013.

FULL ARTICLE

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I thought I was done - but nope. Somehow the sanity that is Complete Streets has made it to the city's Planning Dept. Maybe Worcester can avoid becoming the autotopia that seemed inevitable?

Downtown by foot and wheels: A help for business in Worcester?

By: Sam Bonacci

In a not-so-distant future, a freshly minted college graduate from WPI has just landed her first real job, at a life sciences company in Marlborough. She chooses to remain in Worcester, moving into one of the roughly 800 residential units recently completed in or around the city's downtown. She doesn't mind the commute to Marlborough, but, in general, driving is the farthest thing from her mind as she decides whether to walk to Armsby Abbey for dinner, bike to Ralph's for a beer with friends or, hop on the bus and check out the Ecotarium on the weekend.

This hypothetical young professional is among the tenants developers are targeting and Worcester officials and business leaders are attempting to accommodate through expanded transportation options in the city as Worcester continues to grow.

"It's something we think about as we build that density downtown and market to young professionals, millennials and college students: 'How do we make it easier for people to go back and forth?'" Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce President Tim Murray said.

"Providing as many options as possible that aren't car-reliant is part of it in that comprehensive strategy, and biking and walking and signage are all pieces of that."

While American transportation infrastructure has largely favored the automobile over the last 50 years, growing the downtown — and the entire city — requires a comprehensive approach that includes automobiles, walking, biking and public transit, according to Stephen Rolle, the city's planning director.

"It's really the recognition that streets aren't facilities whose only objective is to move cars.

That's how the profession in general designed them for years," he said. "The focus now really is on building roads to be flexible and accommodating in the way that can support the broadest range of groups possible."

FULL ARTICLE

 

[WormtownNative]

A news brief from the T & G about the Blackstone Canal Visitor's Center. Blackstone River bike path will also be extended to Union Station from it's current terminus at Mckeon Rd.

Linking past and present

Posted Jul. 14, 2015 at 7:38 AM

The long expected Blackstone Heritage Corridor Visitor Center in Worcester is becoming a reality in two years, a link between Worcester and 24 other communities down Central Massachusetts and through Rhode Island along the course of the Blackstone Canal and the Blackstone River, the river that helped power the beginnings of the American Industrial Revolution.

The center will serve as the northern gateway to the Blackstone River Heritage Corridor and the southern gateway to Worcester and the region. The process of completing this final link at the headwaters of the Blackstone River will have taken nearly two decades since its initial planning stages, almost as long as the 20-year lifespan of the canal itself. Local, state and federal officials and guests gathered on an open plot by Route 146 off McKeon Road in Worcester last week to celebrate the work that is about to begin. First comes preparation and capping, and then landscaping of the brownfield with 18- to 24-inches of fill, and finally construction of the Center itself for opening in 2017.

Yes, it’s really going to happen, as several speakers commented last week. Originally, the plan was to use a remaining structure of the old Washburn & Moen factory but it burned down about five years ago. The $14-million visitor center and an adjacent 450-acre recreation area are both located along 146, roughly bounded by McKeon Road. The Visitor Center is primarily funded by $12 million in federal highway funding announced last year by U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern of Worcester, and $5 million in funding just released for the project in Gov. Charlie Baker’s fiscal 2016-2020 capital investment plan that will be split between the Visitor Center and the Middle River Park right next to it.

The building will house 3,500 feet of exhibition space and a classroom holding up to 64 people. Both Holy Cross College, which has been involved in project efforts, and National Park Service rangers will help provide educational resources. The Worcester portion is among the areas along the river designated as a National Park. The Visitor Center will be connected to the Blackstone River Greenway bicycle and pedestrian path, a planned 48-mile link between Worcester and Providence. An extension of the bike path will be built next year to Union Station.

FULL ARTICLE

 

[WormtownNative]

Harding St. is getting remade into a two way street. Yes, this makes Kelley Square an 8-way intersection.

Reconfiguring Harding Street in Worcester expected to boost Canal District traffic

By Michael D. Kane

WORCESTER – The continued revitalization of the Canal District is set to get a major boost from a traffic reconfiguration project: Harding Street, from Kelley Square to Winter Street, is scheduled to change from one-way to two-way traffic.

Business owner John Giangregorio, a member of the Canal District Alliance and Canal District Business Association, raised the issue about expediting the project during a walking tour of Green Street with Mayor Joseph Petty on Tuesday.

The project was approved last year around this time, and is currently in the design phase, Giangregorio said.

The project should cost the city nothing, Giangregorio said, because $1.1 million is already in the bank from outside sources. A federal grant, which he credits to Congressman James McGovern, is worth $750,000. Another $350,000 is coming from CSX mitigation funds.

"Harding Street is already two ways from Winter Street to Union Station," he said. "We are just trying to piece together the Canal District. This will give the public better access from Kelley Square."

Changing the remainder of Harding Street to two-way traffic could bring real change to the Canal District, according to Giangregorio. That's because it will connect traffic from Kelly Square that now bypasses the road for Green Street or Water Street for Canal District. Around 60,000 cars per day travel through Kelley Square, he said. Much of that traffic heads into the city through the Canal District.

In addition, there are spots in the Canal District that cannot be reached from Harding Street without traveling through Kelley Square, backtracking and crossing main arteries via side streets.

"How to get there from here," Giangregorio said. "The Public will have better access to all the businesses and properties on the side streets."

The traffic change on Harding Street is just part of a larger streetscape beautification project already in place in parts of the Canal District, like the parallel-running Water Street.

Giangregorio said the project for Harding Street includes decorative lighting, brick barriers along sidewalk edges and benches. It's a design that is exactly like Water Street.

"It will complement the design we already have," Giangregorio said. "It identifies that you are in the Canal District.

The "enhanced design" also makes the Canal District more pedestrian friendly, he added. Neck down designs at crosswalks means pedestrians have less of a distance to travel when crossing the street. Tighter streets also means slower traffic.

"It makes crossing the street safer," he said. "It's safer, but slower also means people will see the businesses."

FULL ARTICLE

 

[WormtownNative]

Worcester has now launched a crowd sourcing website soliciting citizen feedback on topics.

http://myworcester.worcesterma.gov/

First thing up for discussion: food trucks.