Worcester Hockey Rink Proposal Blasted by Canal District Leader

Friday, November 13, 2015

GoLocalWorcester News Team and Kate Nagle

The proposal for a new ice rink in the Canal District has been met by opposition following the announcement that that former PresMet site is being eyed for the location of a new hockey arena in Worcester.

“I think it's not our preferred development project,” said John Giangregorio, owner of the Three Gs and former head of the Canal District Alliance, of the potential for a facility to go at the corner of Winter and Harding Streets.

“It’s a highly dense area with very small streets, and parking is used up already. We have not any seen any renderings nor have i seen or heard any substantive details, so yes, I have concerns," said Giangregorio.

Craig Davis and the Worcester Business Development Corporation, who have been behind promoting the project, did not respond to requests for the rink feasibility study by GoLocal on Thursday.

Concerns Conveyed

“It's not like it's a professional sports arena -- you won't get spill over attendance with the events,” said Giangregorio. “Our vision for the neighborhood is to have mixed used of retail and residential, around the history of the Canal District and need for housing convenient to transportation modes. This site is one that screams for smart growth, for housing concentrations close to Union Station.”

“If you look at the streets, how narrow they are, if twenty people arrive at the same time, you'll have a traffic backup,” continued Giangregorio. “[The city] just considered the new urban overlay district, which suggested that we should minimize parking lots, and encourage pedestrian flow -- and the city has a propensity to build hundred feet buildings that are roadblocks to pedestrians - think of the DCU Center.

Giangregorio question the projected costs — and how they could, or could not, be met.

“So this is projected to be a $15 million project, which even if amortized over forty years, how does that work? If they’re saying a projected 50,000 people a year, divide that by twelve months, 4,000 people a month…it’s not like the families that are coming from the suburbs are going to be heading out to the agars around here.”

Giangregorio has been supportive the potential to bring the Pawtucket Red Sox, the AAA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, to the Wyman-Gordon site, however.

“At least with baseball, you have 470,000 [attendeeds] guaranteed a year, based on last year's attendance,” said Giangregorio of last season’s numbers for the PawSox. “We’ve been cited here by national media for what we’re doing in the Canal District. What we do here works. We’re brining positivity to Worcester, that we’re open for business.”

“Look, I'm plain speaking and I'm honest,” aid Giangregorio. “I’m passionate for what we’re doing here, and want to make sure it’s in our best interest.”

More Views Question Vision

Others in the community voice their concerns this week.

"What I'm hearing is there a couple of things -- it's a vacant build, it does need to be cleaned up, there needs to be some significant money," said Steve Quist, Worcester City activist. "They'll get money from the cleanup, and it has to be credited to [former Mayor and Lieutenant Governor Tim] Murray, but the deal is, they were looking at the [rink] location to be library, and now its in the canal.

"My concern is you'll have a big box, and one 'primary' season" continued Quist. "With a big open parking lot in a vibrant entertainment district -- if they did it in such a way that there's storefronts, then there's foot traffic, that would have value, but otherwise there's not going to be an economic spin-off, not matter what they say."

Current Canal District Alliance President Mullen Sawyer said that the group is "excited" to be working with the city and rink developers to work in the best interest of the area.

"As President of the District, we've had meetings around the rink -- we were able to connect with the developer, the architect, and local officials, and we learned a lot more and expressed our intentions and concerns," Sawyer "What broke the ice is that they really want to work with us."

Updated Friday 2:55 p.m.

Worcester Hockey Rink Proposal Blasted by Canal District Leader

Related Slideshow: #100 to #1: Business in Worcester That Owe the Most in Delinquent Property Taxes

#100

#99

#98

#97

#96

#95

#94

#93

#92

#91

#90

#89

#88

#87

#86

#85

#84

#83

#82

#81

#80

#79

#78

#77

#76

#75

#74

#73

#72

#71

#70

#69

#68

#67

#66

#65

#64

#63

#62

#61

#60

#59

#58

#57

#56

#55

#54

#53

#52

#51

#50

#49

#48

#47

#46

#45

#44

#43

#42

#41

#40

#39

#38

#37

#36

#35

#34

#33

#32

#31

#30

#29

#28

#27

#26

#25

#24

#23