They are very nice but I can't help think to myself:
- probably cost 300+ to build each one
- even at a hugely subsidized cost say at 129K, they will not sell
Meanwhile there are empty bank foreclosed multi families throughout the neighborhood. Imagine if they took that same money and used it to help a home-owner buy the bank foreclosed property, while requiring them to move in?
9 comments:
181 more market rate apartments planned for the old Junction Block District on Beacon Street.
Tear the place down or show me the market for these market rate apartments in a ghetto area. This is analogous to the twenty story White Tower that was built at Main and Chandler St twenty five years.
This will end up being 181 more subsidized, low income apartments. 181 market rate apartments means about another 700 people populating the downtown area who have zero discretionary disposable income and copious amounts of time to spend sitting on the Common every day. Another nail in the City Sq coffintrdedqu
Where's the story?
Harry T
Worcester,MA
Interestingly enough and how coincidental, Mr Richard C. front and center in letters to the editor today Sept 12.
Harry, for 2 free lamb shish-kabobs next June at St Spyrdons(sp), would you care to venture a guess as to the the topic of Mr C's letter. Dittos Mr Randell except your prize will be a free 6 pack of Genessee :( .
I was wondering if we have any Clark University cartography majors out here in the blogsphere? If so, I would like to see map with City Sq as the nucleus and a few isometric spherical circles drawn around City Sq highlighting existing, under construction, and proposed market rate and non market rate (subsidized) housing and how many units at each location.
This map will be a great pronosticator of the success of City Sq.
And yet another project gets approval:
Former Crompton & Knowles building in Worcester could have new life
WORCESTER — The Planning Board has given a green light for a $22.5 million redevelopment of the former Crompton & Knowles building at 93 Grand St. The building will be reshaped into 94 units of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income people.
http://www.telegram.com/article/20120911/NEWS/109119854/0/SEARCH
Here is the link. The company that's building these units is a class outfit. All of their projects are rehabs at market rate. We have private investment coming into our city and folks like anonymous are throwing shots already.
Anonymous,
did you know that the Mayo Group's market rate apartments on Portland and Salem Street are renting for $1800 / month? Someone that can afford these units have the disposable income necessary for CitySquare to thrive. Why do you think an outside developer is interested in building a 4 star hotel @ CitySquare? IMHO, downtown Worcester is on the rise due to the Mayo Group, MCPHS, CitySquare, Gateway Park, WBDC's plans for the Theater District, expanded rail, etc.
If you don't like what the city has to offer, I suggest you move.
Dave Z with the throwdown! Go Dave!
Harry T
Worcester,MA
Telling peeps to move who voice an opine is not productive Dave Z.......I have had this hurled at me from time to time when not agreeing with the Woo Hoo Haa cliques.....this being said I to disagree with the opine....i have been on a much smaller scale rehabbing ole three deckahs in the urban core of the city and I am filling them with quality working class tenants.....this is what the city needs to start attracting working class peeps....there is very little quality housing available in the urban core except for the no-lo crowd
Big Daddy
David Z, if the Crown Plaza Hotel (f.k.a. The Marriott) which was only 26 years old could not make it in Downtown Worcester and eventually was converted to a college dormitory; then how can another 4 star Hotel ever make it?
As I recall the T&G seemed to say this new hotel was only in the exploratory phase and I seem to recall they were also looking for a tax payer bailout ( DIF, TIF, etc) to build it.
I will say that I am surprised the Mayo apts are going for $1,800. That is very high for Worcester and is certainly a positive, however the Soffan Tower at Main and Chandler also started out the same way with a bang back in the early 90's.
I still contend that if you surround the City Sq core with low income or subsidized apts that it will stifle CS success.
All the sbove said, I will say that new construction is going on everywhere in Worcester. City Sq, miles of new pavement for city streets, WPI on Park Ave, UMass parking garage, CSX RR yard, Downing St, and probably a few others I have seen recently but cannot recall. The problem is that all these projects are disproportionately heavily gov't subsidized.
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