Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | April 1, 2024 | Worcester Business Journal 9 apartment construction, even admitting the store may have been ahead of its time. Instead, Cheney pointed to the small margins facing smaller grocers and consumers being unable to financially support locally-owned businesses. is concern was echoed by a number of business owners inside and outside of the Canal District – including Ilah Cibis of iLah Jewelry, Jessica Walsh of Worces- ter Wares, and Dani Babineau of Redemp- tion Rock Brewing – during a November small business summit held in Worcester. "It's not the City's fault. It's not Polar Park's fault. It is our responsibility as resi- dents to patronize places so they continue to thrive. You can't just use the hashtag #shoplocal but then not actually do that on a weekly basis," Cheney said. Parking and poverty If Worcester is to be a true city, atti- tudes toward cars and parking need to change, said Cibis from iLAH Jewelry, as the supposed lack of parking is cited as a reason Canal District businesses fail. "ere is not a parking problem," she said. "It's a perception thing. ere's plen- ty of people in the city that would argue with me until they're blue in the face, but from my perspective, there's street park- ing, municipal lots, and the Union Station garage. For those of us who are able-bod- ied, there's lots of parking here." ese views on parking are echoed by multiple Canal District business owners in the area. e Worcester Red Sox have a page on their website dedicated to con- necting patrons with potential parking spots. An infographic on the page notes more than 7,000 parking spots available within a 10-minute walk of the ballpark. "I don't believe the Canal District has a parking issue," said Jefferson Mararian, former Canal District Alliance president and owner of 107 TAP, a bar on Water Street. "It's just a lack of knowledge of where it is and the fact that some people have to walk." e lack of a permanent center providing comprehensive services for those struggling with homelessness and addiction represents another problem the Canal District must overcome. e business-related problems this causes pale in comparison to the struggles faced by homeless residents, but property owners and patrons oen have to cope with peo- ple sheltering in doorways, drug use, and using alleyways as impromptu bathrooms. "ere's not one shelter with wrap- around services," said Kalogeropoulos of RE/MAX Partners Advance Group. "[e City] can't scrape together a couple million dollars to build a facility some- where?" For Ulysses Youngblood, president of Major Bloom, a cannabis dispensary operating on Millbury Street since 2021, the problem isn't so much with unhoused residents as it is with people struggling with alcohol and opioid addiction issues. Youngblood said people have died from drug overdoses in the immediate vicinity of the store. "Unfortunately, a lot of the people I've met are no longer with us," he said. People with substance issues loiter- ing in the Canal District has a negative impact on Major Bloom, but Youngblood called for compassionate solutions. "We're all human, and you get to know these people," he said. The growth goes on Despite the hurdles to transforming the Canal District into the vibrant mixed-use neighborhood envisioned by its business owners, developers, and residents, many are confident that the future of the area remains bright. "ere will be a second wave of devel- opment, and it's hard to see anything bad about it," said Allen Fletcher, founder and president of the Worcester Public Market and one of the neighborhood's older champions. "Increased density, more peo- ple living here, that's what we all want." e magic of the Canal District will continue, said Lorusso from Crompton Place. "If I was starting a business today, the only place I would think about starting it is in the Canal District," he said. "You can't get a better location, because it's growing." Canal District commercial rents Commercial rent, Location Time period price per square foot Canal District 2018 $13-$26 Canal District 2024 $30-$40 Thomas Rothwell Spa, 126 Water St. May 2021 $30* Maker to Main, 162 Harding St. May 2023 $35** Pageboy Hair Salon, 1 Kelly Square Jan. 2020 $40* City of Worcester average (Retail <10,000 s.f.) Aug. 2019 - Present $19.53 * Modified gross, which includes some utiltiies ** Triple net, where tenant agrees to pay all expenses Source: Mike Jacobs of NAI Glickman Kovago & Jacobs, CoStar data Member FDIC Member DIF WE HELP KEEP YOUR BUSINESS GROWING Call one of our experienced commercial lenders at 800-649-3036 or email us at commercial@saversbank.com. Simply Beter. Commercial Loans, Business Banking and So Much More. saversbank.com/ businessbanking W

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