Giorgio: Worcester’s Changing Downtown

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Paul Giorgio, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™

It is finally happening. Downtown Worcester is throwing off the yoke of its failed urban renewal attempts of the 1960s, when our historic and architecturally significant downtown was destroyed by the well meaning leaders of the Worcester Redevelopment Authority under the leadership of Edward Maher. Maher, a bank president and chairman of the WRA fancied himself as the Robert Moses of Worcester. He embarked on an ambitious plan, which he thought would revitalize Worcester’s downtown. The downtown did not need revitalization, because it was a very vibrant urban center with business and commerce of all types.

Maher’s plan led to the construction of the Galleria and cut off the urban center from its adjoining neighborhoods, such as Shrewsbury Street and what we now refer to as the Canal District. The Galleria created a wall with its parking garage, which became our version of the Berlin Wall, dividing the city in half.

Thanks must go to those city leaders who moved away from that plan and tore down the garage and part of the mall to open Front Street once again to Shrewsbury Street, spurring economic growth in Washington Square and at the top of Shrewsbury Street. Because of this connectivity, a new hotel will be built in Washington Square.

City Square is a reality

City is Square is becoming a reality as we speak. Unum has built a new building next to the new St. Vincent Hospital Cancer Center. A new luxury full service hotel the AC, a Marriott brand is being built downtown, with an underground garage which is nearly complete. The Innovation Center at 20 Franklin Street is up and running, with startup companies already moved in.

On Monday there was a major announcement that the old mall, was purchased from Berkley Development by Franklin Realty., with financing provided by the Carpenters Union. As part of that announcement the developers told us that they would be investing $70 million in refurbishing both the 20 story, 100 Front Street building and the 10 story building at 120 Front Street. The anchor tenant will be the UMASS/Memorial Healthcare System that will be creating and moving 500 jobs downtown. The former Galleria retail space is also part of the purchase.

Large development spurs local money

This large development is spurring local small business owners to take a second look at the downtown and they like what they see. Several new restaurants and bars are slated to open in the not too distant future. The Muse recently opened across from the Hanover Theatre and an upscale restaurant is close to being announced in the building adjacent to the Hanover. In the middle part of Main Street, the Whiskey Bar will be opening opposite Mechanics Hall and a new restaurant –The Dead Horse Hill will be opening in the space once occupied by Ritual and Violet Rice is set to open right next door. Around the corner from Mechanics Hall, the old Ivy Kitchen is being converted into a wine shop and grocery store to serve the growing residential base in the area.

Worcester hates change.

Change does not come easy to a city, especially Worcester, but we are changing for the better. Outside people are investing in our city and local people are too. There is a great deal of good going on. Young People are staying here, because we have jobs and restaurants and culture and clubs. We will start high speed express trains to Boston soon, which will cut down the commute time. This will draw more people here, because our cost of living is lower than Boston.

Yet despite all this good news, there are some who want to still drag our city down. They only see bad, where others see expansion of the tax base. They see new people moving into the city and pine for the good old days.

Put politics aside.

These people are the same folks who bemoaned the mall when it was built and bemoaned the mall when it was torn down and now bemoan the fact that we are fixing the problems and changing the skyline of the city.

These people attack those that do, rather than join with them. They do it for one reason-politics and for personal advantage and advancement. Worcester is a better place today than it has been in a long time, because we are working together. I am reminded of the old adage-“Rising tides lift all boats.” Worcester-the tide is rising.