Worcester Business Journal

10 Worcester Business Journal | July 27, 2026 | wbjournal.com Entrepreneurs are playing a key role as North Central communities work to revitalize downtowns into economic centers BY ERIC CASEY WBJ Managing Editor S ix years ago, finding a tenant for a commercial space in downtown Fitchburg could take the better part of a year. Today, Tracy Sladen can barely keep pace with demand. "I remember the first spot I had in Fitchburg about six years ago. It was on the market for eight or nine months before I really got any interest in it. Now everything moves so quickly, you really can't keep up with it," said Sladen, a commercial real estate agent with LAER Realty Partners' Lancaster office who works with the Fitchburg and Gardner redevelopment authorities. What Sladen is seeing on Main Street reflects a broader shi underway in North Central Massachusetts. As communities like Fitchburg and Athol work to revitalize their downtowns, small businesses have become a key driver of economic development. With new housing and public investment reshaping downtowns, entrepreneurs are attracted by lower rents and growing activity, while local leaders see them as essential to filling store- fronts, generating foot traffic, and creating amenities. "Everybody just really wants these entrepreneurs to be successful and for North Central to grow and thrive," said Sarah Tavitian, small business senior manager for NewVue Communities, the Fitchburg-based community development corpora- tion. Gaming & cake A new addition to Fitchburg's downtown business scene is Multi- player Gaming Center and Lounge, co-owned by Marquise Harding and Skyler Frink. e business offers con- sole and PC games for casual gaming or Esports competitions. e pair spent roughly three years getting the concept off the ground before a July grand opening at 10 Main St. e mixed-use development added 44 apartments in 2023, bring- ing residents within walking distance of businesses. Multiplayer shares the first floor with Shining Starz Dance Center, another new business. e downtown location was an ob- vious fit, Frink said. e area is walk- able, transit-accessible, and affordable in a way that a comparable space in Boston or Worcester would not be. "Anywhere else, you couldn't have this [size] of space," Frink said. "You would really have to pack things in." e business is already drawing a diverse crowd. Harding, who is Black and queer, said creating an inclusive, welcoming space was a central goal from the beginning. Customers have been thanking him for creating an accepting environment. "Personally and professionally, that just makes me feel so happy because one of my big goals and why I even came into this was to create a Black, queer-affirming space," Harding said. Not far away from Multiplayer, Mer- ary Diaz's journey to her own store- front began in a stall at the Fitchburg Public Market. Diaz, a native of Puerto Rico who moved to Fitchburg in 2020 and began baking out of her home the following year, spent time building her business from a stall at the market before mak- ing the leap to opening a Mera's Cakes standalone downtown location at 150 Main St. Speaking through an interpreter, Diaz said the public market served as a way to test the waters and see if she was going to be able to manage her own business, giving her the confi- dence to open her own storefront. Both businesses credit NewVue Communities with helping them navigate the path to opening. NewVue Small businesses, big development PHOTO | EDD COTE Marquise Harding (right) and Skyler Frink opened Multiplayer Gaming Center and Lounge in July, the latest small business to open in downtown Fitchburg. Tracy Sladen, real estate agent with LAER Realty Partners

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