Chamber, mayor push for approval of courthouse deal

File photo A New Hampshire developer plans to redevelop the former Worcester County Courthouse into apartments and retail space.

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By Sam Bonacci

The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce and Mayor Joseph Petty have announced their support of the deal to sell the former county just hours before the City Council meets tonight, when it will likely vote on the $1.2 million deal.

The city last month agreed in March to sell the Lincoln Square site to New Hampshire developer Brady Sullivan Properties. Brady Sullivan wants to convert the property into 115 market-rate apartments and 3,000 square feet of retail space.

The conditions of the sale were called into question by the Worcester Community-Labor Coalition (WCLC), which asked that at least half of the construction jobs for the project be local hires.

In a letter lending his support to the sale, Petty said he’s committed to ensuring the developer hires as many local workers as possible. But the city cannot mandate that, he said, yet City Manager Edward Augustus will be asked to work with the developer. The project, in conjunction with the recently completed Voke Lofts, is important for the continued redevelopment of the northern end of Main Street, Petty said.

“I am strongly in favor of this proposal and plan to vote in favor of it on Tuesday. I urge my colleagues do the same,” Petty said in a release.

The state had tried unsuccessfully to sell the property for five years before conveying it to the city in 2013 for $1, along with $3 million to clean up environmental hazards, according to Chamber President and CEO Timothy Murray.

On Monday, Murray emailed a letter to chamber members, urging them to contact their councilors to support the sale. Since going vacant in 2007, the building has cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars annually for heat and security, he said.

Sale of the property will allow it to generate approximately $150,000 annually in property taxes to the city, Murray said, with between 200 and 250 residents at the location helping to add to the population density downtown.

“This is a critically important project for the City of Worcester and the economic development efforts of a number of organizations as we position Worcester for further growth and expansion,” Murray said in the letter.

The council, which was originally scheduled to vote on the deal two weeks ago, delayed action amid opposition by the labor group.