Worcester Business Journal

36 Worcester Business Journal | October 28, 2024 | wbjournal.com 35th Anniversary WBJ BY LAURA FINALDI Special to WBJ T he Worcester Center Galleria came at a time when malls dom- inated the retail landscape. It was 1971. Downtowns across the country were slowly dying, and Worcester in particular needed something different – something that would bring people from the region and beyond back to the center of the city. irty-four acres were cleared, leveling homes and business- es to make way for a brand-new, state-of- the-art indoor shopping center. By the 1980s, though, people were already asking what would become of the downtown shopping center. "[In the early 20th century], downtowns were the central business districts, but they had neighbors," said Timothy Murray, president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. "ere were 18-hour days, a variety of different shops that supported businesses, and peo- ple that lived there. "When they built the Worcester Galle- ria, they tore down acres of a mixed-use district. at's why it didn't succeed or survive." More than 50 years later, the story of Worcester Center Galleria is well-known. Like so many of the nation's indoor shopping centers, the Galleria slowly died over the 20 years aer it opened and was replaced by the short-lived Worcester Common Fashion Outlets. Today, the former mall space is known as CitySquare, and since 2010, the city of Worcester has been working with property owners to breathe life into this mixed-use, commercial, office, residential, and parking area. So far, CitySquare includes the Saint Vincent Cancer & Wellness Center, the AC Ho- tel by Marriott, the 145 Front at City Square apartment complex, the former Unum building known as One Mercantile, and the Worcester Common Garage. Also included in CitySquare is Mercan- tile Center, 640,000 square feet of office and retail space that includes the 100 and 120 Front St. office buildings. e 100 Front St. building bore the name of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, the city's daily newspaper, until the T&G signage was removed last year. Charles "Chip" Norton Jr., president and owner of Franklin Realty Advisors in Wellesley Hills, is the developer of The Galleria to CitySquare, a Worcester odyssey From downtown mall to mixed-use development, a look at the rise, fall and resurgence of the city center Timothy Murray, president and CEO, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce WBJ FILE PHOTO The Worcester Center Galleria was less than 10 years old in 1980, but trouble was already brewing. COURTESY JAMES F. TAULMAN/BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY / CC BY-NC-ND

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