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Celebrating 50 Years of Growth, Jobs and Development 7 A Message from Craig L. Blais, President & CEO Worcester Business Development Corporation F ifty years ago, a likeminded group of individuals stood be- hind Governor John Volpe as he signed Chapter 600 of the Acts of 1965, establishing the Worces- ter Business Development Corpora- tion. ese legislators and Worcester business leaders had a collective and co- ordinated vision to grow the economy in the region by creating a corporation that had a unique authority and a clear mission of job creation and tax base expansion. Since 1965, we are pleased to report that the WBDC has created over 7,000 jobs and expanded the tax base by over $28 million. In our fiftieth year, we completed the $40 million restoration of 20 Franklin Street in downtown Worcester, welcoming 2,000 Quinsigamond Community College students to the area. e new Worcester Idea Lab, also located at 20 Franklin Street, will tap into our young entrepreneurial college students, and give them a place downtown to explore, incubate, and start a new business. Looking forward, the WBDC is excited to implement more pieces of the eatre District Master Plan, witness the continued construction and devel- opment of CitySquare, and work closely with City Manager Augustus, Gov- ernor Charlie Baker, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, and our legislative partners at both the state and federal levels. We want to thank all those who have volunteered on the WBDC and New Garden Park, Inc. Boards of Directors over the last half century. eir sup- port and service has helped this organization thrive, and we look forward to the next fifty years of success! Sincerely, Craig L. Blais President & CEO "Throughout the past 15 years I have had the opportunity to work with the WBDC in various roles that I have held as Mayor of Worcester, Lieutenant Governor, and now president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. Throughout that time, the WBDC has been leading transformative collaborations with local business institutions and municipalities to repurpose brownfield sites and underutilized buildings aimed at spurring job creation and tax base expansion. Gateway Park and 20 Franklin Street are excellent examples of this important work." Tim Murray President & CEO Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce