‘Hidden Gem’ Southbridge Pushes To Grow Business Base
PHOTO/JACQUELYN GUTC
Southbridge Town Manager Christopher Clark said having an anchor tenant like Casella Waste Systems at the Southbridge Technology and Environmental Park is important for future development there. He said the company is working to determine the best use of its $6.1-million recycling center.
On May 31, town officials invited business owners and professionals to “Discover Southbridge” and see what it has to offer.
Although he didn't have a hand in coming up with the slogan created by the Southbridge Downtown Partnership, Town Manager Christopher Clark doesn't believe the group could have been more accurate in its attempt to shine a spotlight on what he calls “a hidden gem.”
“The biggest thing for us is just making sure we get our name out there,” he said. “I think it's interesting that the title that this downtown partnership came up with is Discover Southbridge. It makes sense. People can't find you if they don't know you.”
Over the past two years, one of Clark's goals has been to sell off four town properties as surplus. A fifth property — also slated to go on the market — is the Mary E. Wells Middle School. It's closing this summer, with a $76-million middle/high school opening in the fall.. He said there has been interest in the properties, but if people were more aware of Southbridge, they would be occupied.
Clark believes one of Southbridge's best assets is its central location between Worcester, Boston, Providence, Springfield and Hartford, and proximity to major routes like Interstates 395 and 84, Route 20 and the Massachusetts Turnpike. The difficulty for Southbridge, he said, is that it doesn't have direct access from the MassPike or I-84 like its neighbor Sturbridge, known for its historical tourism industry and Old Sturbridge Village. Clark said that spills over into Southbridge but that manufacturers might not be inclined to think of locating in an area known for history.
“Tourists only generate so many jobs and I think the more diverse our economy can be, the better.”
Clark said that would insulate it from future economic slumps.
Joblessness Stubbornly High
Unemployment in Southbridge typically trends a couple of percentage points higher than the state's, coming in at 9.2 percent in April, compared with 5.9 for Massachusetts, according to the state's department of Labor and Workforce Development. The nation's jobless rate was 8.1. But while the national and state unemployment rates have gradually fallen, Southbridge's has remained stubborn, rising higher than 10 percent from June 2011 to February.
“Massachusetts has always been fairly resilient when you talk about econoics,” Clark said. “The reason for that is we're not a one-trick pony state.” He points to the commonwealth's success in education, health care, manufacturing and biotechnology as a map for Southbridge and notes that it already has the 114-bed Harrington Hospital. Quinsigamond Community College also recently added a branch in town.
Part of the move to diversify the town's economy is the construction of a 40-acre industrial park. Decades in the making, the park, in the northern part of town bordering Charlton and Sturbridge, is anchored by a landfill operated by Casella Waste Systems that has been in use since 1979, and a newer $6-million recycling center.
This year, the town completed construction of Commercial Drive through the park, which connects Barefoot Road and Pleasant Street to Worcester Street. Infrastructure such as sewer, water and electricity was recently completed and Clark said the town is ready to market the site. Officials see smaller lots as suitable for office space, self-storage facilities and retail, while larger lots would be more ideal for manufacturing warehousing and distribution facilities, large storage facilities, and office buildings.
Clark would also like to see more green industry, which is evident in the park's official name: Southbridge Technology and Environmental Park. Methane gas from the landfill began being converted to electricity in January and is sold back to National Grid. Clark said it's expected to generate 1.6 megawatts of electricity this year — a draw for environmentally conscious companies looking for a home.
Alexandra McNitt, executive director of the Chamber of Central Mass South, noted that the town has streamlined its permitting process so that all requirements are on one checklist. It also has more than enough infrastructure.
“The town is really trying to send the message loud and clear that they are open for business,” McNitt said.
But while Clark sees big benefits for the town in diversifying, he mostly points to manufacturing as the target industry.
“We do have a blue-collar skilled workforce that other places don't necessarily have,” he said. n
Read more
Decades After Losing A Major Employer, Worcester's Quinsigamond Village Works Toward Revival
Harrington Eliminates 12 Jobs, Cuts Hours
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments