16 Worcester Business Journal | October 25, 2021 | wbjournal.com
F A C T B O O K R E A L E S T A T E
space is filled at the moment, with the
exception of some large vacancies le
by Macy's and Kmart. ese thousand-
square-foot spaces are less appealing to
small businesses, which Mazzarella said
tend to be more successful these days,
but the mayor is optimistic about explor-
ing alternatives.
"ere's plenty of re-uses for malls,
whether they be entertainment or food
or a marketplace setting where you're
offering to smaller tenants that can share
space," he said.
e marketplace blueprint was
adopted by Allen Fletcher, a Worcester
businessman who founded Worcester
Public Market on Kelley Square in 2020.
e market acts as an incubator for small
restaurants and retailers who may not
be ready or able to invest in a brick-and-
mortar storefront.
Fletcher said his customer base,
although still not fully rebounded, has
been steadily climbing over the past few
months.
"e two things we have going for
us are, one, uniqueness, and, two,
human congregation," he said. "We're
completely founded [on] the joy of
human congregation."
Fletcher has been a long-time propo-
Fletcher said
Worcester Public
Market has
bounced back
to around half
its customer
base since the
pandemic struck.
PHOTO/EDD COTE
Continued from page 15
Build with Us. Grow with Us.
gardnerma.com
p 978.632.1780 • f 978.630.1767 • Chamber@gardnerma.com
Why locate your business in Greater Gardner?
Flexible and ready workforce
More aordable residential market
Excellence in healthcare and
education
Quality of life: attractions, dining,
shopping, outdoor recreational
settings
Aordable commercial and
industrial market rates
Turnkey properties
Pad-ready building sites
Opportunity Zone availability
Easy Route 2 Corridor highway
access
The Greater Gardner region of Northern Worcester County consists of the City
of Gardner and 6 the surrounding towns of Ashburnham, Barre, Hubbardston,
Templeton, Westminster, and Winchendon.
Greater Gardner
Chamber of Commerce
