Build it and They Will Come - Wusta or Bust!

GoLocal’s reporter Walter Bird came up with another interesting article today - incorporations. Puts the T&G to shame.

So folks are still setting-up shop here, contrary to what most City Councilors have been saying. The new businesses aren't scared of Worcester’s high commercial rate. So why the doom-n-gloom scenario coming outta City Hall, that either the commercial rate is cut or Wusta will… what exactly? Continue as before of course.

The WRRB and the pro-business lowbrows on the council argue that businesses are heading to Westboro, Northboro, and MetroWest – just anecdotal evidence, offering no proof whatsoever mind you.

So if they’re heading to the boonies, that new office space can be pretty expensive. So why not just stay in beautiful Wusta? Rent a nook in one of those 50 or 100 year old, highly inefficient and crumbling behemoths on Main St. But start-ups don't want ugly downtown Wusta. They want new, clean and efficient Westboro etc.

So where does Wusta stand with office and industrial space? Downtown is already at about 85% occupancy, industrial parks are at about 80%. Ask yourself, how many modern business/industrial parks does Wusta have? Total count is around 180. Most are past their economic lives: 40 to 50 years old, archaic and crumbling. Not very appealing to prospective renters.

What about private building endeavors? Um... not much to speak of. Looking at the project list from the Worcester Business Development Corp., they’re not building offices or business parks, they’re building condos and parking lots.

Fact is, if any business parks are being built, they're not in Wusta. Except what the educational non-profits (most notably WPI and UMASS) are building, nothing new going up around here. Can't have an economic renaissance if you got no place to put new businesses.

Only companies with significant financial resources can undertake real estate projects that could have an impact on Wusta’s business environment. The only one’s doing that are the non-profits.

Exactly the one's who don’t pay taxes.

Welcome to Wusta!