Worcester Business Journal

4 Worcester Business Journal | March 4, 2019 | wbjournal.com C E N T R A L M AS S I N B R I E F Worcester officials worry about minority businesses in Midtown Mall taking V E R BAT I M Bank merger "This merger will expand our presence into the Worcester and Millbury markets and will add a team of talented bankers to bankHometown." Matthew Sosik, president & CEO of Hometown Financial Group on the $1-billion merger between subsidiary bankHometown and Millbury Savings Bank Pregnancy stigma "We really need to be thinking about how family members, friends, doctors, and even society treat pregnant women regarding their weight, because these weight-stigmatizing experiences could have long-term deleterious consequences." Angela Incollingo Rodriguez, an assistant professor of psychol- ogy at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, on a study highlighting the harm of stigma against pregnant women Housing production "We are making a grave mistake with respect to creating the kind of future that we all want for the next act and the next generation that comes after us if we don't do our job and get back to the business of housing production." Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on the state's need to ramp up homebuilding W orcester City Coun- cilors want to be mindful of existing businesses and tenants at the Midtown Mall on Front Street as the Worcester Rede- velopment Authority begins what could be a long and complicated process to buy the property, possibly through eminent domain. e buildings at 12 and 22 Front St., according to city officials, are more than half empty with a number of side- walk-level retail stores making up most of tenants. e building is underutilized and is in need of rehabilitation, said Worcester Chief Development Officer Michael Traynor, but several councilors at their Feb. 26 meeting said the existing tenants are worried about losing their livelihood. Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson, who sponsored a proposal for City Manager Edward Augustus to provide a report on the existing businesses and plans for relocation, said many of those businesses don't know what's going on. e businesses are typically small and minority-owned shops paying inexpen- sive rent. Finding a similar location with similar rent, which is required if the property is taken and the businesses are displaced, could be difficult. "I want to make sure we do right by those folks," Mero-Carlson said. e WRA voted earlier this month to move forward on the eminent domain process, which first includes a series of appraisals. Revitalization plans e Midtown Mall was included in the city's Downtown Urban Revitaliza- tion Plan in 2016, but the city has not been met with cooperation from the mall's owner Dean Marcus. BY ZACHARY COMEAU Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer Michael Traynor, the city's chief development officer, said at a Worces- ter Redevelopment Authority meeting Marcus has been unwilling to rehab the property and has been unwilling to entertain offers from the city. Developers have inquired about the space, and there was even one that fell a few signatures short of a deal, but noth- ing has happened, said Traynor. Councilors Khrystian King, Gary Rosen, Morris Bergman, Gorge Russell and Sarai Rivera all spoke in favor of engaging the business owners through- out the process. Augustus said councilors, the city and WRA would move prudently through- out the process, but reminded officials many other property owners downtown have invested significantly in their properties. ose property owners deserve the city's attention, too, so their investments are worthwhile, Augustus said. While Augustus assured a prudent action, the WRA signified at its last meeting the city should move swily to take advantage of the city's economic momentum. Chairman Vincent Pedone said the process could be underway by the sum- mer, but member Michael Angelini said action should begin immediately within the next few months. "I want to step a little more firmly on the accelerator," Angelini said. The Midtown Mall is home to smaller businesses mostly owned by minorities. W PHOTO/BRAD KANE

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