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Worcester Public Market/Kelley Square Lofts 17 PROUD TO SUPPORT PROJECTS THAT KEEP MASSACHUSETTS GROWING. Congratulations to Canal District Partners on the completion of the Harding Green project in Worcester. MassDevelopment provided $3.4 million in loans and guarantees to help bridge the financing gap for this project, transforming a vacant lot into a vibrant new building that includes market rate housing and a public market. To learn how we can help you with your project, visit massdevelopment.com or call 617-330-2000. serving currently as president of the Alliance. According to Russo, the Alliance's hard work and suc- cess are prompting organizational change. "The Alliance was more social at first. We wanted to get people to notice and support the District. We have been extremely successful. Our postcard campaign to attract the Paw Sox is evidence of that. Now we are shifting gears and bringing more businesses into the area. It's the next big step." The rebuilding efforts of the Alliance also helped to attract the Red Sox minor league team to the region. "The team wanted to be part of a bigger economic develop- ment project and to be located in an urban core," said Sawyer. "They also wanted to be close to public transpor- tation. Union Station is less than a quarter-mile away." Russo foresees even more development in the future. "There is out-of-city money being invested in the district. On the entertainment side, things have changed a bit from a few years back. There are more and more eateries in the district. In fact, we have about 47 restaurants, which is more than Shrewsbury Street. These restaurants represent different cultures and ethnic groups." Russo anticipates that the Worcester Public Market will be a magnet that draws visitors, shoppers, diners and resi- dents to the district. "The market will serve as the linchpin for community," he said. "I am personally more excited about the Worcester Public Market than the ballpark. This will be great for the District and the City. It'll bring people, including families, to stroll, shop and enjoy the area." The Canal District Alliance has clearly made a signifi- cant economic impact on the area, and recent investment from outside the city has continued what the group origi- nally set in motion. From a $100 million baseball stadium to a $140+ million retail/restaurant/housing project to a $35 million Kelley Square reconstruction, the Alliance has helped change the entire landscape through team effort, hard work, determination and strategic planning. n "We have residents here already. It's desirable to live here and a lot of these residents are not Worcester natives. We are more affordable than Boston, but Worcester can offer everything that Boston does, and rents are 30 to 40 percent cheaper here than Boston." – Ed Russo, president of the Canal District Alliance