Worcester Business Journal

www.wbjournal.com January 4, 2016 • Worcester Business Journal 11 A forum of what lies ahead for our region in 2016. Produced by in partnership with Please join the Worcester Business Journal and the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce for our annual Economic Forecast Breakfast event. '16 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016 Beechwood Hotel, Worcester 7:30 am - 10:30 am $45 per person (after February 4th, $55) • Pre-registration required. SPEAKERS TO DATE Frederick H. Eppinger President and Chief Executive Officer, The Hanover Insurance Group Karin Kimbrough Managing Director, Head of Macro and Economic Policy Head of Macro and Economic Policy Investment Management & Guidance, Bank of America Merrill Lynch MODERATOR Peter Howe Business Editor, NECN To register or for further agenda updates visit: www.wbjournal.com/economicforecast PRESENTING SPONSORS SUPPORTING SPONSORS BOLLUS LYNCH CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS & CONSULTANTS BOLLUS LYNCH CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS & CONSULTANTS SAVE THE DATE! cy on much more than those factors. As she tells it, Wong set out to address the following issues, in order: financial stability, improvement in the public schools, economic development and investment in cultural institutions. The economic recession hit soon after Wong was in office, and that redi- rected much of her attention for the first couple of terms. She feels she accom- plished what she set out to do. • The city now has a healthy stabiliza- tion fund and an 'A+' bond rating, which has put the city in a much better position to borrow money for needed infrastructure improvements. • Wong, who as mayor chaired the Fitchburg School Committee, noted Fitchburg has seen strong improvement in test scores and graduation rates, and is now home to two Level 1 schools, the state's highest ranking based on educa- tion quality, as well as a Level 2 school. • While unemployment in Fitchburg and surrounding areas is still higher than the state average, Wong said work the city did to entice Great Wolf Lodge to open an indoor water park in the city last year was a major win for the city, as it draws people to Fitchburg from all over the New England. • Investment in vacant mill buildings from private companies, most recently Winn Development, is a realization of one of Wong's longtime goals for devel- opment of new housing options and retail businesses on the outskirts of downtown, even though Main Street still struggles with vacant storefronts. • Finally, Wong took the Fitchburg Cultural Council's recognition as 2014 Council of the Year by the Massachusetts Cultural Council as more good news for the city, after the group actively worked to promote the city's cultural assets and advocacy for the arts. Fitchburg is now an attractive option to young professionals who would live in Boston, if not for the cost, said Tony Marcotte, the project manager for the New Hampshire developer that bought and renovated what is now a mixed-use apartment complex, Riverside Commons. "It's the affordability that draws them in," said Marcotte, whose building is 98-percent leased. Building on Wong's successes The city is certainly in a much stron- ger position than it was when Wong took office, and that will give DiNatale a head start on his own initiatives, said Roy Nascimento, president and CEO of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. "She's done a great job and … I think Steve is looking to continue some of the progress she has made," Nascimento said. DiNatale, too, recognized that his job will be far easier after Wong handled the grunt work of shoring up key areas, especially city finances. DiNatale said he will continue Wong's strategy to move Fitchburg toward a single-tax rate to tax businesses and residents equally. "She had an outstanding handle on what to do about the city's financial sit- uation," DiNatale said. n what limited. Meanwhile, DiNatale said the city's assets, including affordability, cultural attractions and newly improved com- muter rail service, must be adequately marketed to revitalize Fitchburg's image. Wong righted the ship All of this is not to say that DiNatale is outwardly critical about what's been done in the recent past to revitalize the city. He said he's enjoyed a functional working relationship with former Mayor Lisa Wong, who took office at the age of 28 and served four consecutive terms. "She … righted the financial ship," by rolling up her sleeves to straighten out the city's shaky finances immediately after taking office, DiNatale said. But has the city's image improved under Wong? DiNatale was uncertain, and said he'd be more focused on the small things — the appearance of the city. Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella, who grew up with DiNatale in the same Italian neighborhood of Leominster, put it this way: "Lisa was the right step at the time, and now I think (DiNatale is) a Tom Menino kind of mayor … that on-the- street, I-want-that-street-cleaned (men- tality) ," Mazzarella said. Mazzarella agreed with DiNatale's point that the same things that matter to residents in terms of image, also matter to businesses. Mazzarella, himself noto- riously pro-business, recognized that bigger efforts are required to put Fitchburg on equal footing with Leominster. A member of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Board of Directors, Mazzarella said he looks for- ward to working with the state and DiNatale on creating a connector road from Route 2 directly into Fitchburg. The project has been tossed around for years, and it is something Wong also pursued. Saying, 'Yes' Meanwhile, DiNatale said among his first steps will be a top-down review of city departments, and he'll make the changes necessary to foster a stream- lined permitting process for businesses. He said he wants to avoid situations where a business is turned away from setting up shop in the city because some element of the proposal, such as an engineering study, is missing. The important question, DiNatale said, is "How do you get to yes?" Roy Nascimento, who became presi- dent and CEO of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce about a year ago, said streamlined per- mitting is among the important initia- tives he discussed with DiNatale, ahead of his swearing in. "Mayor Wong has done a great job, but change is an exciting opportunity," Nascimento said. Wong said DiNatale has the right mix of local knowledge and statewide per- spective, who can advocate at all levels for Fitchburg. "We still need a cheerleader because we're still overcoming perception prob- lems," Wong said. n

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