Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | October 31, 2022 | Worcester Business Journal 13 E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T F A C T B O O K Commercial Residential & industrial North County 2022 Central Mass. property tax rates, by community Rate per $1,000 in assessed value Royalston 12.21 12.21 Petersham 13.54 13.54 Hubbardston 14 14 Winchendon 15.11 15.11 Templeton 15.24 15.24 Sterling 15.25 15.25 Shirley 15.48 15.48 Phillipston 15.58 15.58 Princeton 15.68 15.68 Westminster 15.8 15.8 Athol 16.05 16.05 Leominster 16.56 16.56 Barre 16.84 16.84 Pepperell 17.15 17.15 Groton 17.19 17.19 Lunenburg 17.19 17.19 Fitchburg 17.61 17.61 Townsend 17.61 17.61 Ashby 17.69 17.69 Harvard 17.91 17.89 Gardner 18.59 18.59 Ashburnham 18.88 18.88 Lancaster 19.45 19.45 Clinton 14.91 25.06 Ayer 13.42 28.28 Commercial Residential & industrial Blackstone Valley Source: Massachusetts Department of Revenue Northbridge 13.77 13.77 Millbury 15 15 Millville 15.11 15.11 Uxbridge 15.16 15.16 Sutton 15.18 15.18 Mendon 15.41 15.41 Douglas 16.34 16.34 Upton 16.77 16.77 Grafton 16.88 16.88 Blackstone 17.9 17.9 Hopedale 17.11 27.66 Fastest-growing Central Mass. communities, by population 2020 decennial 2021 census Community census estimate % change Berlin 3,279 3,674 12.05% Sterling 7,976 8,152 2.21% Millis 8,519 8,668 1.75% Shrewsbury 38,450 38,999 1.43% Rutland 9,067 9,169 1.12% Sudbury 18,897 19,059 0.86% Hopkinton 18,798 18,943 0.77% Upton 8,002 8,050 0.60% Douglas 8,996 9,049 0.59% Boylston 4,854 4,882 0.58% Grafton 19,643 19,756 0.58% Westminster 8,227 8,275 0.58% Source: U.S. Census Bureau A rendering of the $100-million, 1.1-million-square-foot Cubes at Gilboa facility in Douglas said. But there's no question that more eyes are lingering on the Blackstone Valley. Big companies are looking to increase the numbers and sizes of their warehouses, and the area has plenty of available land and good transportation access, he said. "I'm very optimistic that 2023 will deliver tenants to fill up existing inventory that's finishing its completion," Jarosz said. "Going forward, we'll see what the market demands from there, but it's healthy." Who's already there? One of the Blackstone Valley's newest corporate residents is Medline, an Illinois-based healthcare company, which opened an 840,000-square-foot, LEED- certified distribution center in Uxbridge in 2020. The facility, which is one of more than 50 across the U.S., opened as a way to serve the company's growing customer base in New England and the Northeast, the company said in an emailed statement. Inside the facility, Medline said, it uses the latest technolo- gy, including an advanced robotic picking system, hands-free voice picking systems, and a wireless communications system. Since opening, the company said, Medline has added new customers, which has increased sales. About 130 team members have been hired to deal with the heavier volume, and the company has extended its receiving hours of operation to cover seven days a week. is year, Medline completed a 6.7-megawatt solar installation at the facility. e system will produce an estimated 8 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 5,700 metric tons. As she watched the Medline facility get built, Hebert said she was amazed. "When you're in a hospital, everything from tissues to wheelchairs is Medline, and this is where supplies are being distributed," she said. "Hundreds of jobs are resulting from that distribution center." Hebert is excited more businesses are interested in coming to the 146 corridor. "It's a real revitalization of the Blackstone Valley," she said. "We've been waiting a long time for this." W IMAGE | COURTESY OF NEWMARK

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