Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | March 18, 2019 | Worcester Business Journal 19 People. Places. Product. Photographic images for advertising, public relations, graphic and corporate communications groups . See the difference. 165 Holly Lane • Holliston, MA 01746 Phone/Fax: 508.429.3188 • www.ronbouleyphoto.com R O N B O U L E Y P H O T O G R A P H Y totaling more than 275,000 square feet. ose join the 610,000-square-foot Rhode Island Convention Center, which opened in 1993. e MGM casino in Springfield and Encore casino due to open in Everett this year have their own large ballrooms. Keeping up with the industry is criti- A 2018 report to the Worcester Civic Center Commission identified a total of nearly $37 million worth of needed upgrades. Nearly $26 million worth of projects are considered priority items. DCU Center upgrades Description Cost Start date *Highest recommended short-term improvements Source: City of Worcester Improved exterior ADA signage* $32,500 2019 Fire sprinkler modification in storage area $455,000 N/A Replace rusting and missing exterior handrails* $38,500 2019 Convention center fire alarm modernization and upgrade* $949,016 2020 Upgrade security surveillance system with integrated access control system* $455,000 2020 General structural repairs and maintenance* $197,374 2019 General roofing repairs and maintenance* $1,790,880 2019 Replace half of rooftop HVAC units* $5,875,000 2019-2021 Replace arena HVAC cooling tower* $2,625,000 2020 Replace all arena seating* $6,924,282 2019-2021 Replace the arena sound system $1,038,240 2020 Renovate locker rooms and dressing rooms $650,000 2020 Add dehumidification system for arena $2,493,750 N/A Add a fume exhaust system and CO2, CO and NO2 monitoring in arena bowl and exhibit hall $5,323,500 N/A All potential short-term improvements $36,703,516 Your exceptional event deserves an exceptional venue. TUCKERMAN HALL MASSACHUSETTS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Corner of Salisbury & Tuckerman Streets Worcester, MA | 508.754.1234 tuckermanhall.org cal for Worcester, Harrity said. "In order to stay competitive in this market, we have to keep going and staying current with what's demanded in this market right now," he said. DCU Center's facelift With more improvements in mind, the DCU Center expects to spend at least $26 million and as much as $37 million in the coming years. Funds will be gathered through a special tax surcharge on properties in a district surrounding the facility. e district, established in 2006, uses taxes from hotels, meals and retail sales, and revenue from the city-owned parking garage on Major Taylor Boulevard. In 2015, the special tax district was expanded to include other properties in the city, including the AC Hotel on Front Street and the former Worcester County Courthouse now slated for a 117-unit housing development. e expansion allowed the city to double the amount of money it could raise for DCU Center improvements. Among the first visible improve- ments visitors will likely notice are exterior upgrades including new land- scaping. at aspect was prioritized by City Manager Edward Augustus. "It really is his vision, and we're following his vision," she said. Other expected work will include new convention center seating, upgraded locker and dressing rooms and a new sound system. e exact list of improve- ments hasn't yet been finalized, accord- ing to the city. Investing for a payoff Arenas and convention centers can provide significant economic value for a city, said College of the Holy Cross sports economy professor Victor Mathe- son. As a leading voice nationally on the topic, he's otherwise a skeptic of public investment for facilities for baseball or football, which have far more limited uses than an arena. e DCU Center's main tenants are the Worcester Railers hockey team and Massachusetts Pirates arena football team, but it can hosts trade shows, cir- cuses, monster truck racing or anything in between. Its convention business can provide more hotel guests than sporting events, Matheson said. Matheson urges balance between spending to keep up with other facili- ties and falling behind the competition. "Whether or not it's a good thing is a function of how much you put in and how much you put out," he said. "ere is an arms race with conventions centers and arenas because there are a limited number of conventions go to around." M E E T I N G S G U I D E & G O L F D I R E C T O R Y F O C U S W

• Cover