Developers’ interest in Worcester a positive step
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A New Hampshire developer plans to redevelop the former Worcester County Courthouse into apartments and retail space.
With their recently announced agreement to sell the old Worcester County Courthouse, officials in Worcester have removed a large obstacle toward the city's goal of giving the downtown area new life. Recent announcements of several developments move the city closer to its goal of having a walkable, multi-use urban core.
The deal to sell the 260,000-square-foot courthouse for $1.2 million — pending City Council approval — to New Hampshire developer Brady Sullivan Properties is another big piece of the downtown puzzle that is being addressed successfully. The developer plans to convert the historic structure into 115 apartments and 3,000 square feet of retail space, adding to the momentum of the former Worcester Vocational Technical High School's transformation into the Voke Lofts apartment complex last year by Winn Development.
Just blocks away, Winn Development made yet another investment in Worcester this month with an agreement to buy the former Unum Group building on Chestnut Street, where it's studying the feasibility of converting the underutilized space into college classrooms and student housing.
And most recently, the City Council approved a longstanding effort to develop a new 600-unit apartment complex on Franklin Street bordering Union Station and the Canal District.
Add these newly announced development agreements to the three hotels planned for the downtown area — including a coveted 4-star site within the CitySquare development (See our story on Page 9) — and it's clear that, finally, private developers are recognizing the potential for healthy returns on their investments over the next several years. Those that gambled that a huge public investment in the downtown would spurn a much higher degree of private investment have waited a long time for the payoff. But here it comes, and it's great to see.
Sure, there's more work to do, especially the area downtown around The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, which the city hopes will provide a core for a broader theater district. Heather Gould, chief of staff for the city's economic development office, also cited efforts to find developers for such underutilized buildings as the Midtown Mall on Front Street.
Then, a half-mile southeast, there's the Canal District, where restaurants, bars and clubs have made the area livelier during evenings and weekends. Between downtown and the Canal District, the 14-acre Wyman-Gordon property on Madison Street has also become a top priority, Gould said.
Interest among developers “kind of ebbs and flows,” she said. But Gould hopes that with the increased interest and action in the downtown area, “there will be more of an emphasis on downtown development.”
While the city and Worcester Business Development Corp. deserve credit for launching the transformation and igniting interest, the increased investment from private developers is the real payoff, and we hope this month's announcements will lead to more.
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