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Jan. 24, 2022
Focus On Commercial Real Estate

Downsized: Shrinking developments around Polar Park raise concerns about the stadium payoff plan

Katherine Hamilton

With the main development delayed yet again, the secondary one cut in half, and the third development proposal only committed to a small phase, the City might have to expand the tax district again to pay for its stadium debt.

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    Worcester 300 trivia contest, part 2

    Worcester Business Journal has partnered with the Worcester Historical Museum to run a year-long trivia contest in celebration of the 300th anniversary of Worcester’s founding on June 14, 1722.

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    Mass. DPH cautions against requiring PCR tests to return to work

    Monica Benevides

    In a Tuesday public health advisory, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health clarified its recommendations related to who and when people infected with and/or exposed to COVID-19 should undergo testing.

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    Advice

    10 Things I know about ... Providing better benefits for young employees

    AiVi Nguyen

    According to Forbes, Millennials stay at a job on average for two years and nine months.

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    Advice

    Surviving the supply chain chaos

    Madison Wellman

    It’s easy to see how marketplace trends like our shared supply chain woes could have far-reaching long-term negative impacts on the U.S. economy, especially for the smallest players. But is this moment truly as hopeless as it seems?

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    Advice

    Up yours: How to bring your best game to life!

    Bob Martel

    How do you ratchet up your game in this distracted, high-anxiety world? Well, you start by being true to yourself, knowing yourself, what you want and why, and develop the confidence and courage to make forward progress.

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    Advice

    101: Leveraging Data

    Susan Shalhoub

    Data can be used to find new clients, hike customer retention, improve service, laser-focus marketing efforts, predict trends, and more. Here are three ways you can enhance your company by leveraging data.

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    Editorial

    Editorial: The year of the entrepreneur

    Last year was quite the year for new business startups in Central Massachusetts.

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    Editorial

    From the editor: Why we give extra scrutiny to Polar Park

    Brad Kane

    If a government is going to give $160 million toward enticing one single business, particularly a small company with less than 50 full-time employees operating seasonally, there needs to be transparency and accountability for that deal, to ensure it fulfills its promises to the public.

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    Opinion

    A Thousand Word: Saint Vincent's priorities

    Ramón L. Sandoval

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    Opinion

    Opinion: Avoid the rent control trap

    Lynn Bora

    Greater Worcester is enjoying a residential boom, with housing demand in all areas outpacing the supply as more Massachusetts residents realize Central Massachusetts has greater affordability than they will ever find in Greater Boston.

  • Movers & Shakers
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    Movers & Shakers

    Movers & Shakers for Jan. 24, 2022

    DOUG BROWN, president of community hospitals and chief administrative officer for UMass Memorial Health in Worcester, was elected into the membership of the American Antiquarian Society, a national research library of pre-20th cen

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Today's Poll

Should Massachusetts significantly reduce the environmental review time for new housing projects?
Poll Description

In an effort to increase the pace of new housing development in Massachusetts, Gov. Maura Healey has proposed streamlining the environmental review process for certain new housing projects, with the goal of reducing the time spent on the process from about one year to 30 days. Environmental reviews are a hallmark of community planning, to ensure new development doesn't negatively impact surrounding properties or natural resources, even though the process does add significant time and often cost to projects. Healey's proposal comes after Massachusetts fell behind the national average in new housing production, despite adding 90,000 new units since she became governor in 2023.

New England already averages the longest timeline in the nation to build a single-family home once the developer has been giving the authorization to move forward with construction, according to U.S. Census statistics compiled by the National Association of Home Builders. In 2023, single-family homes in New England averaged 13.9 months from permit to completion. The South Atlantic states have the lowest average of 8.9 months while the region that includes Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana is the second quickest at 9.4 months. The second-longest average after New England is the New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania region, which takes 13.2 months.

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