Worcester Business Journal

8 Worcester Business Journal | November 23, 2020 | wbjournal.com With their plans sidelined by the pandemic, special improvement districts in Worcester and Hudson are finding new ways to help businesses BY GRANT WELKER Worcester Business Journal News Editor T hey're scenes leaders of any dense neighborhood would want: Packs of people dining out together, walking along sidewalks, or shopping. ese days, the coronavirus pandemic Destinations delayed has made those activities all but im- possible. at has formed an especially difficult challenge for business improve- ment districts in downtown Worcester and Hudson, whose missions are to bring in people for dining, shopping, and events and to make the neighbor- hood a lively one. In Worcester, a district still in its infancy was forced to abruptly shi from seeking a place-making consultant to helping to provide resources and advo- cacy for neighborhood stores. "We really shied our focus," said Evelyn Darling, the executive director of the Downtown Worcester Business Im- provement District. "Our focus became advocacy." In Hudson, the district hired a certified public accountant who's been made avail- able for use by any businesses in the dis- trict needing help figuring out financials or government aid during the pandemic. Hopes for lively neighborhoods have given way to a more sobering task of making sure enough businesses stay in operation during a pandemic that's crushed restaurants and stores. "For as long as we need to, that's our focus," said Richard Braga, the adminis- trator of Hudson's district. Clean takes on new meaning e Hudson and Worcester districts are two of a group of about 10 statewide, including others in Amherst, Boston, Hyannis and Springfield. In each case, the districts take small surcharges based on properties' assessed values, and use the revenue to benefit the district – typically for marketing, beautification and maintenance, arts and cultural programming, or safety and hospitality initiatives. e Worcester district, which collects about $950,000 in revenue through spe- cial tax collections each year, was envi- sioned as an initiative to help host events and bring crowds to the neighborhood. e 78-acre district, which is cen- tered around Worcester Common, was operating for less than a year before the pandemic hit. Darling was hired in April 2019, and much of the first year was spent surveying business needs, creating branding and hiring ambassadors, whose duties would be largely to keep the neigh- borhood clean – a priority made clear in those surveys. Cleanliness took on a new meaning with the pandemic. Ambassadors, as the crew members are called, not only hauled away more than 4,900 pounds of trash and erased 175 instances of graffiti in the span of three months ending in September, they wiped down more than 3,400 surfaces, including door handles and push buttons for crosswalks. "People's desire for cleanliness and Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District ambassador John Velez sweeps along Franklin Street across from Worcester Common. Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District workers (from left) Julio Baez-Velez, Miguel Fernandez, Eleiny Hernandez, Adrian Johnson, Evelyn Darling, John Velez and Andrew McShane. Downtown Hudson has benefited from not only new restaurants and retailers but also a major renovation of the rotary at Main, Washington and Felton streets. PHOTO | EDD COTE PHOTO | EDD COTE PHOTO | IDEAL VIDEO STRATEGIES

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