UNUM is a great step and lets hope it becomes not only a done deal but a fair deal for the City of Worcester. Keep in mind, however, I have lived through Judith Light at the grand opening of the Worcester Fashion outlets, Centrum, the Convention Center, Hilton Garden, new courthouse and Med City.
City Square is only a step in the right direction. We need to also:
City Square is only a step in the right direction. We need to also:
- stop anymore affordable housing projects
- establish a single property tax rate for commercial/residentail
- create economic zones that waive all permitting fees and lock in assessed values for 10 years like we did with the Hanover Theatre
- get out of businesses that we should not be in (airport and golf course for starters)
- worked on improved commuter service
- term limits for City Councilors (NEW ONE)
- creation of a Boston Latin type high school downtown
UNUM is great news but needs to be the starter not the end.
29 comments:
Bill:
Most definitely. I remember downtown when WCIS, People's Bank, Home Federal Savings Bank, etc were all headquartered there. Those were the people who spent the money. Once they all got bought out and Worcester became a 'branch office' of some major bank/insurance/corporation in some far off part of the USA and/or world, that's when the REAL declined happened. The professionals moved out and the pajama people moved in (with all proper respects to paulie, the unofficial trademark owner of that term). Retaining UNUM (formerly Paul Revere) in downtown is a HUGE step in also pulling in more companies...
Just my 2 cents.
Thanks,
Harry T
Worcester, MA
I am not for term limits cause it also effects good Pols..I'd rather see an electorate that actually votes on merit and less on popularity..when it comes to moving this city forward it is clear that quite a few on the CC do not have the skills to do so...I respect their public service but far to many times..folks stay to long like an athlete who does not have it anymore..
I have to agree with Szoback on this one..all we have done is moved the pieces around...and we will now have more space on the market once UNUM sells what i owns and the space is remodeled
We are so hung up on CitySquare tha we are forgetting that we have no new tenants bringing in new business
Paulie:
In and of itself, UNUM moving really does nothing. I agree with Scott.
This is just a trigger and hopefully it will lead to other tenants coming to City Square. As I list, hopefully the City Council takes up some real issues to move this city forward.
Paulie, could not disagree more with you on the term limits for City Councilors. In a worse case scenario a good policitican, as you mentioned as an example, would have to sit out two years but could run again?
Bill
Paulie,
I was listening to Phil Palmieri this morning with Jim Polito on WTAG. According to Phil, tenants (and I stress that I used the plural derivative of that word) were waiting to see if this project was for real before signing the dotted line with Young Park. If that is true (and the current state of the economy doesn't deter them), this can only be good news not just for CitySquare but downtown in general.
I’m cautiously optimistic that more confirmed tenants along with a housing component within CitySquare will lead to more trains and other downtown interest.
Bill, as for Med City it may not have been a catalyst for new development downtown but imagine what it would look like without it. And when the hometown bank headquarters started vacating the central business district after the bank merger craze, it added medical professionals as we lost the banking community professionals. And MCPHS never would have happened without Med City. BTW, it’s not even know anymore as Med City.
Z:
I agree with everything you said and I was not knocking Med City.
My point was that no one project will turn around the City. We need one good project after another to be announced and that is what we are hoping UNUM will be for City Square.
The only bad thing about UNUM movinig to City Square will be having to listening to Dewey tell us all how right he was?
On a serious note my next biggest concern will be what is going to happen to the old offices.
that is okay on disagreeing abou term limits....we had to eventually:>)
Bill, I'll save the boasting for the victory celebration at EVO.
Does anyone know to what extent, if any, we have Pajama People living at the oldd Bancroft hotel site?
Re term limits: Good pols and I use that term loosely and if they even exist, eventually rise to the top so a good councilor could just move on up the political food chain.....just as good employees can move up in a company.......the cream will always rise although faster in some area than others...problem is the deadwood (Palmieri & Rushton e.g.) can always hang on w/o term limits using the power of their current position to get re-elected.
The only problem in Worc though is that you cannot get elected ( with 1 0r 2 exceptions) w/o the city labor vote...so even with term limits you end up with coucilors who are owned by city labor interests.
FWIW, I am beginning to wonder if this Polito on WTAG in the morning is in bed with Palmieri.............why does he always have on Pilot Payment Phil (PPP) every wednesday???............I can understand the CM being on tuesday morning and then the mayor on with Blute also on tuesday.....but i mean PPP is just a district councilor..........how about soem air time for the others like Kate(pro-teacher) Toomey or Joe (the quiet guy) Petty.........petty is still there??
And while we're talking empty buildings, the Worcester Historical Museum on the corner of Elm & Chestnut, diagonally across from Unum, will be moving in 2010...what are the plans for that space?
Jahn, as a resident of the Bancroft I can tell you that the pajama people population is low. There are some here definitely, don't know if they are actual section 8 or not but they have the look. They are a very small minority though. Mostly students and young professionals.
Gabe:
On this blog please use the appropriate terminology.
Sexy 8 not Section 8.
Bill
Jahn,
I really don't think Jim Polito is in bed with Phil. In fact, more often than not, Jim is taking issue with Phil especially when in comes to a PILOT program.
As to why Jim does not have any of the other councilors on his program; why don't you send him an email and ask him. I have sent him several emails and he always responds with answers. You can find his email address at WTAG.com
Where is the Historical Museum going?
Dwight, I think Jim & Phil are fellow-countrymen scratching each others back maybe for mutual benefit down the road a bit...........again just my opinion...my gut feeling
Gabe...TY......good to hear they are at a minumum b/c I was thinking who's going to buy Berkleys condo's if we have too many of these types chillin' in City Hall area.....we already got too many holligan kids hangin' around there.
I was wondering this morning for some reason.........how are we doing with moving the PIP shelter......and more importantly..... its clientele?? We did have a task force.......correct.....another Blue Ribbon (Pabst?) Committee
So if Unum becomes the trigger to initiate demolition.......what's the trigger (if any?) to iniate new constr thereafter? IMO, speculative new office constr. isnt exactly what banks are keen about for collateralized lending right now. How much Class B & C vacant office space do we have now in downtown??
"Gabe...TY......good to hear they are at a minumum b/c I was thinking who's going to buy Berkleys condo's if we have too many of these types chillin' in City Hall area.....we already got too many holligan kids hangin' around there."
>>I'm lookin' forward to that city conversation..we will have folks pickeing downtown cause the city is moving out my Parade..
BTW Senor Jahn..I have "PPP"
trademarked..I would appreciate you not using in any other way than TM.."Paulie's Pajama Parade"
Jahn,
The Historical Museum is moving into the new Blackstone Visitors Center in Quinsig Village.
That should have read Blackstone Valley Vistors Center.
Dewey:
Blackstone Valley Visistor Center is now coming in something like 5 million over budget. That is why nothing has happened there yet.
Not sure it will be close to done when the Historical Museum leaves. I have never been there and I am one block away.
Am I missing anything?
Bill
Bill,
Don't worry, Jim McGovern will make sure appropriate funding is available. It will be included in the fine print of Worcester's next low income housing development Washington handout. LOL
Paulie then how about S(no)w Shovel Phil (SSP)then? I never heard or read the term Paulies Pajama Parade (PPP) or if I did I forgot. Please dont notify the Trademark authorities. Thanx
Gee I didnt know the Blstne Valley Vis Centr was even under construction yet. I havent been traveling that way lately on 146S now for 4-5 months. I trust re-hab is in progress at the proposed site of the old building Supply compnay.(Rome, I think it was?).
I had always advocated for the BVVC to be located in the Canal (Blackstone) Distict.........assuming it does happen...why have a Blkst Canal District and building that houses all the Blckstn Canal History that is 6/10ths of a mile as the crow flies and a 10 minute drive from the proposed Canal District???
Also, last I knew there were access issues to the site of of the BVVC.......specifically it appearrded to me the site was land locked or close to landlocked by the new Rte 146 and land takings were needed to make the site fully functional.
Feds paying to staff this place, too?? If so, I wonder who Mc govern will be putting in there.......s/b a few good federal GS 5 or GS 7 or GS 9 jobs there??
Bill:
From here on out I will keep a proper glossary with all pertinent terms and nomenclature in order to keep up appearances.
Maybe we should make an ordinance?
Paulie,
"I'm lookin' forward to that city conversation..we will have folks pickeing downtown cause the city is moving out my Parade.."
I am interested in this too, if real gentrification ever happens in Worcester what the cities reaction is going to be to it.
I mean people were ready to picket when they moved the homeless out of Federal Sq. I can't imagine what they will say when and if they are removed from an entire neighborhood.
Jahn,
The BVCC isn't landlocked, you can go over there right now and drive right up to the building. There is already a pretty nice green space with a walking track and benches that overlook the river. It's actually pretty nice.
Also, I remember going to Canal Fest and seeing mock ups of the whole entire canal thing as envisioned and the visitor center wasn't completely out of place with the finished product. Of course the odds of the finished product ever coming to fruition aren't so good so we'll see.
I think the main thing was they wanted to put it somewhere where the river was actually visable. I am glad it's in Worcester at all.
I am a Unum employee here in Worcester. Yesterday, upper management sent us an email survey asking us what we would like to see in terms of amenities (IE: cafeteria, fitness center, etc.). This appears to be a good sign that the talks with Berkley are starting to get down to specifics and is more than just surface discussions. Let's hope this plays out, after all i wouldn't mind working in a brand new building downtown!
Gabe , although you can drive to it, their was a legal adv. in T&G last spring that "lead me to believe" that land takings might be nec. before final monies were dispersed for BVVC. Although you can drive to it no problem, that doesnt nec. mean the land youre driving on belongs to the site of the proposed BVVC. As I said, that was "My take" on the legal adv.
Gabe if they really wanted to put it where the river is truly really quite visible, it would have been sited further south in one of the towns where the river is much more exposed.....and/or the river is also supposed to be visible in Canla Dist. ,if it ever comes to fruition. The way gov't money is drying up everywhere now, I am beginning to have my doubts about the necessity, at this time, of Pork barrel projects like this.
Alan thsi sounds to me like maybe Berkely Will be doing more then just providing a shell of a building to laocate in..............maybe they're also going to be doing the teenant build out. Typically in these comm. office situations the tenants just rents empty floor space and builds it out to suit their needs/purposes. Maybe berkley will building it exactly to UNUM's specs?
If I am Unum I am going to try to squeeze all I can from the city..........not that i agree with it.......but whats good for the Hand It Over Theatre (Millions in city subsidies) should also be good for UNUM.
"I mean people were ready to picket when they moved the homeless out of Federal Sq. I can't imagine what they will say when and if they are removed from an entire neighborhood."
>>they have managed to keep em' out of a huge area of the city..whats a few more neighborhoods..I'll gladly continue to lead the charge in my neighborhood
Alan:
Thanks for the info!!!
Bill
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