Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | April 26, 2021 | Worcester Business Journal 7 they can be indistinguishable from their neighboring buildings not part of the campus, making it easier for a potential piece-by-piece redevelopment. "It's all doable, but at a high cost," said Russ Haims, the president of Hampton Properties, which has been fixing up grand old homes in Becker's neighbor- hood for over a decade and rents out apartments in more than a dozen. Renovating the old buildings can oen be very costly, Haims said. "I look past the current condition, and I visual- ize what they could be," he said. Haims said he'd be interested in Becker's dorm buildings if they become available, and said much of what comes of the campus will depend on demand. Jacobs said he can envision nearby colleges taking some buildings and others being converted into residential use or even lab space. Traditional office use isn't as likely, particularly with high vacancy rates in the city, he said. e campus sits just outside a federal opportunity zone, which would have provided developers an extra incentive, but historic tax credits are likely to be available. "Logic would dictate that some of the Worcester schools would find entice- ment with some of this real estate," Jacobs said. If at least some of Becker's Worcester W E A R E H E R E F O R Y O U . Get in touch: (508) 890-9087 | businessloans@baystatesavings.com Visit our Lending Center: baystatesavingsbank.com/business/lending/ For information on financial assistance: baystatesavingsbank.com/coronavirus-health-and-safety/ Our staff hasn't stopped working to help businesses navigate through the pandemic's economic impact, and we will continue to do so! Campus builings on Williams Street 61 Sever St. 1900 39,935 Weller Academic Center 51 Sever St. 1980 15,964 Health Sciences Education Center 44 West St. 1986 15,694 Boutin Student Center 80 William St. 1920 13,319 Colleen C. Barrett Center: MassDiGI, classrooms, offices 6 Oak St. 1890 8,001 Merrill Hall dormitory 60 William St. 1900 7,678 Staff offices, IT, mail services 84 William St. 1900 6,548 Southgate House administration offices 31 Fruit St. 1890 6,398 Cedar Hall dormitory 45 Cedar St. 1890 6,118 Design Building: classrooms and faculty offices 62 William St. 1900 6,006 Linden Hall dormitory 54 West St. 1890 5,333 Facilities headquarters 41 Sever St. 1890 4,714 Bullock Hall dormitory 39 Cedar St. 1920 4,658 Lincoln Hall dormitory 53 West St. 1920 4,658 Davis Hall dormitory 56 William St. 1900 4,602 Math and business faculty offices 30 Roxbury St. 1920 4,201 Admissions and other offices 81 William St. 1927 4,156 Private residence 41 Cedar St. 1895 4,138 Colton Hall: campus activities, residence life offices 16 Roxbury St. 1910 4,094 Business office 47 Sever St. 1910 4,091 Student administrative offices 66 William St. 1920 3,692 Admissions office 36 Roxbury St. 1910 3,501 Fleming Hall offices 61 William St. 1910 3,440 Office of Institutional Advancement and Alumni Affairs 38 Roxbury St. 1910 3,222 Boutin Hall: campus police 12 Roxbury St. 1920 3,098 Nursing faculty offices 48 Sever St. 1900 2,622 Archives and housekeeping offices 38 Cedar St. 1942 36,907 Willow Hall dormitory 21 Fruit St. 1935 25,088 Spruce Hall dormitory 56 Cedar St. 1887 8,655 Cypress Hall dormitory 4 Marston Way 1910 5,760 Magnolia Hall dormitory 7 Marston Way 1920 4,519 Oak Hall dormitory Note: Where some addresses differ between city and Becker records, this chart uses Becker's address. List does not include four parking lots Becker owns and open green space. Source: City of Worcester, Becker College Becker buildings Becker College owns 26 buildings in Worcester and occupies five others, with their future in question once the college closes at the end of the spring semester. Square feet Address Year built of building space Description Owned & occupied by Becker: Owned & occupied by Becker: Square feet Address Year built of building space Description buildings were to still be used for college purposes, there would seem to be some potential with at least one neighbor: Worcester Polytechnic Institute. WPI has already offered to host the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute, a center known as MassDiGI locat- ed on the Becker campus. WPI has a fast-growing enrollment, and it already utilizes many former homes for offices on the south end of its campus closest to Becker. WPI didn't comment on wheth- er it's looking at potential uses at Becker. Clark University, which is taking Becker's celebrated video game design program, has committed to keeping the program in Becker buildings for the upcoming school year. It said in a state- ment Clark said it is focused on meeting supporting the first year of the new pro- gram and hasn't had any conversations beyond that. Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus said in a statement the city in- tends to be active in discussing Becker's plans for its properties when the time is right. City Councilor Candy Mero-Carl- son, who chairs the council's economic development committee, said keeping Becker's old buildings will be important for the neighborhood. "I don't think we should just let anything go in there," she said of a goal of preservation. "I, for one, don't want to lose those buildings." Preservation Worcester is also con- cerned, Packard said. e group can help match properties with developers. Packard expressed optimism in the campus's future. at's due to both their history and the fact that the building's old age requires a city demolition delay meant to spur an owner to renovate instead of knock down the structure. "e neighborhood lends itself to a lot of types of reuses," Packard said. Leicester will face the same chal- lenge, with roughly two dozen build- ings on a second, smaller Becker campus in town. Town Administrator David Genereux said the town has notified the college of its potential interest – Town Hall stands immedi- ately adjacent to campus on the Town Common – but said further discussions are premature. "ere will be discussions in the coming months about possibilities of transferring property to the town, the most important of which is the Town Common," Genereux said. W

• Cover