Worcester Auditorium hosts 500+ in redevelopment push
Worcester envisions the auditorium to be turned into housing, culture or office space while still maintaining its historic relevance.
In a push to spur redevelopment of the Worcester Auditorium, the city and Preservation Worcester have opened the moth-balled building's doors this August to tours.
For the first three Sundays in August, the nonprofit organization will host tours of the venue that has hosted such big names as Jay Z and Stevie Wonder.
The first Sunday had more than 500 people visit the historic structure built in the 1930s as a World War I memorial, said City Manager Edward Augustus, and is just the beginning of a push by the city to open up the property to the public and get the word out about its marvelous interior.
“A lot of people hadn't seen it since they were in high school,” Augustus said. “It really is a spectacular space when you get in there.”
This is a grassroots effort to find the right developer who will fall in love with the building, Augustus said, whether through visiting or just seeing a photo of the majestic interior on social media, and bring it back to use.
Another concert venue?
A performance venue is nearly the only thing off the table, according to both Augustus and Deborah Packard, the director of Preservation Worcester. While the venue has served as a performance space for numerous acts and has a 7,000-pipe organ, it does not have the modern amenities nor acoustics that bring acts to Worcester's Hanover Theatre or Mechanics Hall.
That massive auditorium and historic nature of the structure certainly could be constraining factors for potential developers, who would be required by the city to maintain the historic nature of the building. Although there are constraints, Augustus said for the right developer there are plenty of positives.
“The structure itself is sound. It is beautiful and unique and is surrounded by an ever-more vibrant area,” he said. “There's a lot of good energy there, it's just a matter of finding the right fit and the right developer to put their own resources as well as leverage whatever public dollars might be available to help.”
So what could be done with it?
According to Augustus, the city is in an exploration phase and is looking to developers to bring just that answer. The city has been pitched a number of concepts such as housing, art and office spaces and a co-operative space.
The city has even been soliciting ideas from those touring the building.
In the end, it needs a special developer with a vision, Augustus said.
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