June 25, 2010

South Worcester Industrial Park (SWIP)

Gary Rosen has a nice piece in WoMag this week, but I got to make one correction--SWIP!  Sorry Gary.

Nobody has a more vested interest in the success of this place. That said, this industrial park to date has been a complete failure. Not only has not one business/job beeen created.

Things like Pharmasphere, which I hope happens after all of this time, can not be allowed to happen anymore. If nothing else, lets hope we learn some valuable lessons letting 11 acres sit their while the winning bid is able to not pay real estate taxes but is allowed not to maintain the property.

7 comments:

Paulie's Point of View said...

I'll jump up and down when we see something from the airport sale, this CSX deal does what some think it will do and these expanded commuter rails that Woo is supposed to get bring in more folks who contribute around here..and the first condo downtopwn is sold and Victoria Secret secures a ten year lease with Legal Saefood next door..

I get a real belly laugh at this crowd that calls those who disagree naysayers....lets see some results on these deals before we all jump onto the good ship lollypop..someone has to be on the other ship with a life preservor just incase the GSL sinks yet again:>)

David Z. said...

Also in this week's Worcester Magazine, talk of the demolition starting on the former Outlet Mall by late July.

http://www.worcestermag.com/city-desk/top-news/96988099.html

Jahn said...

Well I read Worc Mag this morning for the first time in months. I cannot explain my reluctance of late to just pass bye the Womag rack and not grab one.

When I saw Rosens article I knew the first person that David Z would think of...!!! :(. Rosen calls folks who criticize Worcester "Debbie Downers". Good
God where did he ever pickup that name from, You Porn or Hurricane Bettys? I thought Worc was on uppers now?

One of the problems with Garys piece is that he talks of things and places that are happening or are about to happen. City Sq, CSX, Massport, Gateway Park, Bio Park,Union Station, SWIP, Farmers Market, MCPH, and the like.

Gary is so lost in things & places that he fails to talk about who the demographics are that will populate and use these projects. I'll betcha Garys lives west of Park Avenue. Gary really needs a a wake up call. Maybe he should park in front of #224 some evening :) .

The Centrum, The Wocrester Center Mall, the Fashions Outlet makeover, Med City, Union Station, and 3 or 4 Common make overs in my lifetime were all supposed to be the second coming of Christ as a far as what ails Worcester. But I am patient person

This is analogous to school depts that think new school buildings will help educate kids. MY parents moved me from a 2 decker to a decent looking, rehabbed single family home when I was teen. Do y'all think it helped me one iota. I still got thwacked with the same yard stick :(

So I have only read the first few pages of Womag and will prob. end it there. Woo-Town index reports the city rec'ing......

"$15M back to Worc"......

re: the transfer of the airport to Massport. Soooooooo OK now I have heard $3M, $17M, and now $15M coming Worcesters way for the airport. THe T&G (Nick?), Womag, & the local radio stations have to sit down and decide how much did we really get. Nick????

Also..........so I kinda, sorta assume that permits relative to razing Worc center have been pulled already and that the likes of a Testa from the North Shore has been contracted with?

Jahn said...

Paulie we actually had a Legal seafood from 1984 until 1994. When the lease ran so did legal an dtheir was quite reasonable.

Rumor had it from the Berkz of Boston that Worcesterites have (had) a Spags mentality when it came to finer seafood. They wanted Friday Fish & Chip prices and Legal quality food.

David Z. said...

Jahn said, "Rumor had it from the Berkz of Boston that Worcesterites have (had) a Spags mentality when it came to finer seafood. They wanted Friday Fish & Chip prices and Legal quality food."

Could it be that Legal Seafoods is just not that good anymore? How else can you explain the popularity of the Sole Proprietor. Not exactly a cheap "Spags Mentality" place to dine.

Jahn said...

Explain the popularity of the SOLE?

I'd say probably b/c it's the only really good (the best I'd say) seafood act in town. Not knocking Coral. They are good, too. I sure hope that fire in downtown Marlboro wasn't the Coral SF that's out that way?

David, Legal left Worc in 1994. I cannot speak to how good they are now, but back then they were good and lotsa peopel raved about their quality. BTW back then they were also more costly than the Sole.

Maybe I shouldnt say Spags Mentality but right from the horses mouth back then in 1994 but the feeling at Legal was that Wocesterites just wouldnt open their wallets to pay Legal prices. Thus the 10 yr lease at the old police station ran out and so did Legal.

But hey Worc didnt need Leagl back in 1994. What with Worc Common Fashion outlets, a recent remake of teh Common back then, Judith Light, the Denholms building makeover, MED city on the drawing board, and just coming off a Paris of teh 80's run, Worc was going places backk then.......right?

Jahn said...

David, I also meant to tell you that I tried last week to find the T&G piece about teh Hand It Over Theatre getting a parking deal at Fed'l Sq garage an dmy mmeory was jogged.

I did find a piece about how the city cut a speacial path across that foolish looking Greek Parthenon like sturture in front of the federal building...which special path was built specifillly for Hand It Over Patron parking at Fed'l Sq garage.

I also found a piece dated 2006 and it mentioned the soon to be imminent opening of the Hand It Over Theatre and HOW IT WAS IN WORCESTER GROWING ARTS DISTRICT. Fast forward to 2010 and what was going to be an arts district is now an over abundance of low income housing.