Worcester Business Journal

62 Worcester Business Journal | October 28, 2024 | wbjournal.com WBJ BY LIVIA GERSHON Special to WBJ C entral Massachusetts is a region that likes to wax nostalgic about bustling main streets and tight- knit mill communities. A lot has changed over the decades, with shis in the way people do their shopping, the decline of traditional manufacturing, and the rise in tech industries. And our communities have shied with the times. ree places in the region, Hudson, Marlborough, and Fitchburg, offer examples of three different ways to revitalize local economies. ey also have something in common: In all three municipalities, economic development professionals say Transforming communities These three Central Mass. municipalities have taken different roads to revitalization a key element of their success has been collaboration among businesses, local governments, nonprofits, and the general public. Adding the toppings in Hudson As Richard Braga, Hudson's former police chief, remembers it, the town's business district was very different in 1989 than it is today. "We had a number of bars—some served food, some didn't," he said. "ere was at least one bar that was termed a biker bar. And there was a lot of activity at those bars. It was more of a late-night downtown at the time." Today, Main Street dining establishments like Medusa Brewing Company and Rail Trail Flatbread Company draw visitors from well beyond the town limits during daytime hours and into the evening. Hudson has repeatedly reimagined itself since its 19th-century beginnings as a mill town specializing in shoe manufacturing. It was part of the region's tech boom in the 1980s and '90s, driven by companies like Digital Equipment Corp. But, like many New England towns, it found the downtown core that helped define its identity losing the kinds of stores that attracted shoppers and diners. Arthur Redding, owner of Hudson Appliance, which has been on Main Street for 53 years, recalls walking down the street at one point in 2008 and counting 34 empty stores. Determined to make a change, he and several other business owners formed the Hudson Business Association and set to work improving the downtown area and attracting new businesses. e key move they made was helping to set up a Business Improvement District (BID). Under Massachusetts law, these are sections of a community in which all property owners pay a fee that is pooled together to support the district. "I've always said the town gives you a plain pizza, but you want all the toppings," Redding said. "So we have to put the toppings on." Richard Braga, executive director, Hudson Business Improvement District COURTESY HUDSON BID 35th Anniversary The Hudson Business Improvement District has been a primary driver in the reinvigoration of downtown. COURTESY HUDSON BID

• Cover