Cigarettes

Every two years at election time, we hear people running for office saying they want to become more "business friendly" to increase the Commercial Tax base.    Instead we have

1. FOG or grease traps
2. proposal to tax 4 units commercially
3. Local meals tax

Now we want to ban certain businesses from selling cigarettes?    Let's take an example of the pharmacy on the corner of Park Ave and May Street.   The owners are already trying to compete with Walgreens and CVS, that just opened next door, now they have to tell customers to go across the street to the 7-11 to buy their cigarettes. 

These changes will do nothing to curtail smoking but only redistribute current sales, hurting some businesses while helping others.   More importantly it just sends another non-friendly business message.

This is the exact type of thing where the Chamber of Commerce is suppose to make their voices heard? 

El Morcco

From Worcester Business Journal daily e-mail..  Where did you hear it first?



El Morocco Building On The Block


By Christina H. Davis
Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer

The former home of the El Morocco restaurant in Worcester was scheduled to be auctioned off today at 11 a.m.  The 12,000-square-foot building is located at 100 Wall St. on approximately 1.79 acres. The building is being foreclosed upon by Shrewsbury-based Central One Federal Credit Union, according to Frank Trapasso of Francis J. Trapasso & Associates, which is handling the auction.

The most recent owner of the building was Shawn Kelly of MetroWest Commercial Real Estate, according to Trapasso. There had been plans to build a 90-unit apartment building at the site, but construction never started.    The El Morocco was operated by the Aboody family for many years and established itself as a local landmark.

Callie Crosley Show

Rick, Paul and myself were on her show today.  Check out her web page  about our appearance.  Picture Paul took of me in the lobby

Home Funds

I asked the City for report on HOME FUNDS from January 1, 2010 thru the present day:

Canal Lofts                                                               750,000       64 rental units
South Worcester Neighborhood Center             450,000      25 rental units
Windor Street LLC                                                 400,000         6 rental units
East Side CDC                                                         120,000        homebuyer unit  & 2 rental units
Castle Hill                                                                 550,000       9 rental units
Worcester Common Ground                              1,000,000       22 units of housing
Channing Terrace                                                   360,000       46 units
Main South CDC                                                     150,000       6 rental units
Whiz Kids  LLC                                                       250,000       18 units
Latin American Health                                            60,000         9 Single Room Occupancy units

Some of these units are on-line, while others will be coming on-line.  

The Governor of Florida recently said "NO" to a whole bunch of monies from the Federal Government to build a train line.   His basis was that,although the money was free that Florida could not afford this in the long run.

Considering we already have way above our minimum, maybe we should say "NO" to anymore HOME FUNDS>  

CityPlace is just a pipe dream

CityPlace in West Palm was pretty amazing. 

Nice to see the vision of City Square  live in color with CityPlace.  Granted I know Worcester can never be exactly like West Palm,  since my return Wednesday, there have been two stories in the Telegram about Main South CDC and low income housing

1. Garner Kilby Hammond
2. Grand Street

When is it ever enough?    We keep building projects like this, CitySquare will only be an office tower.     Currently we already have close to 15% low income housing, which is 50% over the Commonwealth mandate of 10%.   When do we say "NO!!!"  to any more Home Funds, Historic credits or whatever "free" money, that is not free, that is being handed out for more "No-Lo" housing.

If we say nothing,which we are doing, the CDC's and other developers of No-Lo surely will not stop, since this is their life blood.   Forget about 15%, we will be at 20% in 5 years and lead the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the supply of NO-lo housing.      If we don't, there is no chance any developer or bank will consider putting the money into downtown Worcester that CitySquare will require.

Lets put NO-LO housing, where they need it in towns like Princeton that have basically none.

Anal Sports Bar

Sign Guy can you grab a "C" and head down to Millbury STreet

NFL Network

Comcast in Florida has that as part of their Basic package.   Talk about an awesome channel, Icould watch that all day long.   Come on Charter add the NFL network. 

Southgate Place

Three bedroom asking price--  $1,200 per month.

Main South CDC

Next time anyone reading this blog is near West Palm Beach, I strongly suggest you check out CityPlace.   Checked out a bunch of condos and really liked the Palms.    It reminds you of Faneuil Hall but with a movie Theatre and grocery store, with great weather year round. Got back last night, after one of my worst flights ever.    The stroms from Virginia through Pennsylvania rocked the plane for an hour.

today I get back and one of the first stories I read is about another press conference for 17 units of low income housing for Main South CDC.    Is this still news anymore??   

I got to admit that these projects, when they build duplexes like the are in Gardner-Hammond, they actually improve the neighborhood, although I can but help question the amount of money that is spent per unit.    Construction wise these are the most expensive homes built per square foot in Worcester.    

Projects like these are much better then the dense constructed projects like May Street, Hadley and Southgate Place.  

CityPlace

Not to be confused with City Place in West Palm Beach, visited there the other day.   Similar to Faneuil Hall in Boston and what expect the developers of CitySquare had it mind..      Absolutlely fabulous, surrounded by office buildings and condos.   

Paul Shea Part 2

Paul, let me apologize to you for my earlier post.   Glad to see that you use your real name and your opinions are more then welcome here.   Good guy named Paul Shea, use to be an Atlas salesman ran against O'Day 4 years ago?

Just get frustrated sometimes.    My list of businesses, that have left which I have not even posted for a long time..  Actually, now that I think of it, Eric sent me an e-mail that those two businesses.    

Either way the list is to try and show people that businesses are leaving the City of Worcester eroding our commercial tax base thereby  burdening the remaining tax-payers, both commercial and residential.   You don't think this way and I respect your opinion.

I simply disagree with you.

Spring Break

Take a few days to spend with wife and daughter in Florida.    Can anyone tell me if it was in fact the old El Morocco proeprty to be auctioned on the 30th in the newspaper.

Jahn, right behind Walgreen's where the old shooting range was..  Remember that?  The branch of Web 5 across from Lietrim's is moving there.

Overtime Tap was orginally McFadden's then a steak place, but I forgot the name.   

1986-2011

I graduated from college in 1986 and began my work career in Worcester in 1986.   25 years later, I would like to pose the question "Is Worcester better off or worse off today then in 1986."

Personally, overall I have to say we are worse off today. 

Paul Shea

Little quiet on the blog front this week.

Paul Shea, is that his real name or not who cares, hit a nerve with me this week?   By the way Paul, I have nothing against you, I actually find your comments quite insightful, especially regarding the airport.  All the more reason your comments bothered me.

The intent of my blog, or any of my other stupid comments, are not to drag Worcester down, but actually to pull Worcester up.       I did not wake up one day and say, "Hey I cant wait to put together a list of the businesses I see leaving Worcester", so I can pay more in taxes and see the value of the under-lying properties that I own go down in value.

It just gets to a point, however, that when you hear "City on the Move", which nobody wants that to happen more then me, that I feel that I have to point out the realities of the situation.        I dare say the state of Worcester in 1986 (when I started working downtown) was better then today.  Which direction are we moving?
  
Sorry Paul, over the past 20+ plus years:

1. Businesses are not coming to Worcester
2. The over-all tax base is eroding creating a burden on the remaining businesses/residents that remain

Whether you putting together a list of the businesses that are coming or leaving Worcester, one only needs to to look at their tax bill to know which one is longer.  

Southbridge Street Rock Salt Pile

In the fall I remember driving by it,thinking that is a hell of alot of rock salt.   Today I was driving by and noticed it was completely gone.   Started asking around and was told the thing was wiped out twice.    Some indication of how bad a winter it was.   That is a gone dam lot of rock salt.  

Business closing update

• Bally Fitness in Lincoln Plaza (in today's T&G)


• PW Sherman at Gold Star and Mill St. - looks like WB Mason might have bought them out according to website

 
 
Thanks Eric

Blogger Get Together

Sorry--forgot!!   Was reminded today by Sprout.   Next time for sure.     Gerat idea, however, having ex Red Sox star Dwight Evans there signing autographs.

Crompton Knowles

Telegram has pictures of the demolition of Crompton Knowles. 

Sad....   I look at the building and think how it literally employed thousands and now it will become another no-low housing project that will receive millions of tax-payer monies.  There will be numerous ribbon cutting ceremonies about how great this project will be , but we are only digging a deeper whole for ourselves.



Rumor Mill

Hearing that the El Moroco property is going out to auction on March 30th. 

Another good one, but I need to get more information

Philly Plan

Yesterday I was at a meeting of the Chandler Business Association with Congressman McGovern,   A new business-owner commented how after all his hard work and investments to make Chandler Street better all he saw from the City of Worcester was permitting fees and now much higher tax bills since his property is assessed higher.  His comment was, more or less "The City give no incentive for people to invest".

The response was that there has been some talk about a Philly type plan, but nothing has happened and we have Gateway Cities legislation coming.    Versus waiiting for Gateway Cities legislation lets put the Philly Plan in action in Worcester today.  

We need to target 25 under-utilized parcels:

• can not be for non-profit
• waive permitting fees
• waive water and sewerage connections
• lock in current assessed value for 10 years
• ste certain standards (number of jobs to be vreated and minimum amount to be invested)

This would ensure these parcels remain on the tax rolls, pay dividends down the road and actually expand our tax base.   Taxing 4+ residential units commerically or offering tax breaks to commercial businesses with 10 or less employees does nothing to expand the tax base, it only rearranges the current taxes.

This is where Jahn is going to comment about how we need to be cutting the expenses of City Government.  Jahn, I agree!!!   We need to 1) cut expenses but 2) we need to expand the tax base.   Deal like Tri-Cab are good for the City of Worcester.  Lets do 25 more of them.