Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | November 9, 2020 | Worcester Business Journal 5 M A I N S T R E E T S F A C T B O O K 26 years of continuity On the other side of Worcester, just about as far north of the city as Webster lies south in Massachusetts, is a community with that kind of conti- nuity – Leominster, where Mayor Dean Mazzarella has held office for 26 years. When Mazzarella, a former Leomin- ster police officer who grew up in the city, assumed office in 1994, the country was still in the middle of a recession. At the same time, a generation of local business owners were looking to retire, said Mazzarella, with no one interested in taking over. Box stores were moving in and nearby Fort Devens was closing, taking its staff along with it. At the time, Mazzarella said, about half of the city's downtown retail space was empty, as well as about 40% of available office space. "A combination of all of it just led us to that point where downtown was in a major transition," Mazzarella said. Gone, he said, was the bustling downtown hub he remembers visiting with his grandfather. Nearly three decades later, though, that's changed. Mazzarella estimated about two storefronts are currently empty, and the town is planning to install a second park on a large patch of sidewalk in front of e Fix Burger Bar, which opened in October in place of what was previously Rye & yme. e plan is, and has been, to establish down- town Leominster – the city doesn't have a single Main Street, but rather a small spider web of main streets intersected by the town common – as a place where people linger between restaurants and shops. Moving toward this goal has required a multi-pronged approach on behalf of the city and other local organizations, Mazzarella said. He pointed to elaborate downtown planters and other seasonal flowers installed around the common, as well as the reintroduction of a police Fastest-growing Central Mass. communities Community 2010 population 2019 population % change Hopkinton 14,909 18,470 19.28% Lunenburg 10,076 11,736 14.14% Boxborough 5,012 5,793 13.48% Littleton 8,910 10,227 12.88% Berlin 2,868 3,240 11.48% Maynard 10,112 11,336 10.80% Rutland 7,979 8,938 10.73% Sudbury 17,675 19,655 10.07% Bolton 4,899 5,426 9.71% Holden 17,464 19,303 9.53% Ayer 7,425 8,196 9.41% Hubbardston 4,382 4,829 9.26% Holliston 13,546 14,912 9.16% Westminster 7,271 7,997 9.08% Stow 6,584 7,234 8.99% Natick 33,012 36,050 8.43% Framingham 68,323 74,416 8.19% Shrewsbury 35,561 38,526 7.70% Boylston 4,355 4,712 7.58% Acton 21,912 23,662 7.40% Franklin 31,633 34,087 7.20% Ashland 16,615 17,807 6.69% Upton 7,540 8,065 6.51% Wayland 12,940 13,835 6.47% Sutton 8,974 9,582 6.35% Douglas 8,468 9,038 6.31% Townsend 8,926 9,506 6.10% Northborough 14,199 15,109 6.02% Source: U.S. Census Bureau The Leominster store Central Discount Flag & Gifts, owned by Mayor Dean Mazzarella, got creative with its Halloween decorations for Main Street. Continued on page 6 2020 Central Mass. property tax rates, by community Rate per $1,000 in assessed value Commercial Residential & industrial Greater Worcester Leominster County: Worcester Population: 40,759 Year incorporated: 1740 PHOTO/EDD COTE Shrewsbury 12.47 12.47 Oakham 13.55 13.55 Leicester 14.91 14.91 Hardwick 15.98 15.98 Boylston 16.54 16.54 Holden 17.00 17.00 New Braintree 17.32 17.32 Rutland 17.61 17.61 West Boylston 18.58 18.58 Paxton 19.73 19.73 Auburn 17.98 22.37 Worcester 17.00 35.16

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