Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | March 20, 2017 | Worcester Business Journal 37 Striking while the iron is hot The Worcester Business Journal welcomes letters to the editor and commentary submissions. Please send submissions to Brad Kane, editor, at bkane@wbjournal.com. W hen I came into office a little over two years ago, I realized the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) needed modernization in several different areas. As a former businessperson and elected official who worked on licensing, I recognized the balance needed to support an industry critical to both the local and state economies while ensuring public health and safety through prudent regulation. The ABCC, often in conjunction with cities and towns, is charged with licensing restaurants and retail- ers, as well as winemakers, brewers and other aspects of the industry. This makes the ABCC a catalyst for many small businesses that are vital in Massachusetts. The alcohol industry is required to operate under a system of three tiers: producer/manufacturer, distribu- tor/wholesaler, and retailer/consumer. The ABCC and other regulatory agencies monitor the consistency of products, tax collec- tion and licensing, along with many other con- trols. Our state's alcohol stat- utes, which were put in place in 1933, have typi- cally been amended in a piecemeal and reactionary way. Other changes were made through court deci- sions, but those are often not reflected in our stat- utes. The result is a system that lacks the cohesiveness businesses and the ABCC require to operate efficiently and effectively. To address the challenges imposed by these antiquated laws and systems, I decided to convene a task force of inde- pendent, thoughtful professionals. They are tasked with creating an open and inclusive process that analyzes the statutes and regulations and organization structure so that the laws and the ABCC work properly for the benefit of everyone. I have requested a report within six months that will identify simple key internal and external changes necessary for the ABCC and businesses to interact more efficiently. I am not starry eyed about this undertaking, I know that this task is a daunting one that will not be easy. But it is impor- tant that we take on this challenge to ensure that our laws meet the needs of the 21st Century's alcohol businesses and consumers. At this time, the Task Force welcomes public comment and input at www.mass.gov/treasury/alcoholtaskforce. We encourage you to submit your topics for the task force to review. We look forward to hearing from you. Deborah B. Goldberg is the Massachusetts state treasurer and receiver general. Mass. needs to update alcohol laws A t noon on March 10, the principals behind Onsite Builders & Development of Westwood came into WBJ's offices ready to detail the $35-million proposal they had just laid on Worcester city officials to remake the old Worcester County Courthouse. Onsite was one of four developers to express an interest in taking over the abort- ed effort to revitalize the old downtown courthouse, after a New Hampshire developer pulled out of the deal in December. While the previous plan the city had entered called for the devel- opment of some 115 apartments, Onsite's rendering showed a plan for a much more ambitious rede- velopment of the 4.3-acre site, calling for up to 300 market-rate apartments along with office and retail space. In addition, they have received assurances that financing is in place for their $35-million plan, another sign of strong investor confidence in Worcester's economy and real estate market. Just a few years ago, such a scene would have been impossible; four developers vying for a previously moribund piece of Worcester history. So much for Worcester's long-held reputation as a tough place to invest. Today, the winner of the courthouse sweep- stakes will simply join the chorus of people remak- ing downtown at the Mercantile Center, CitySquare, the city's hotel and sports scenes, and in small pock- ets throughout the central city. After a decade of largely public projects meant to catalyze private development, the city's ship is coming in. When one of the courthouse proposals in Lincoln Square eventually gets selected, you can more tangi- bly see the pieces of the Worcester redevelopment puzzle coming more closely together. The developer of the Mercantile Center – Worcester's tallest prop- erty – is close to lining up a retail anchor for the ground floor of his 640,000-square-foot mixed-use com- plex. The Worcester Ice Center is adding a new layer of activity to the already booming Canal District, thanks to the efforts at Crompton Place and small investments on sur- rounding streets. The courthouse development promises to add to the momentum in Lincoln Square, where the historic auditorium stands ready for renewal, and the Worcester Technical High School site could be further developed. Maybe, just maybe, that momentum will be strong enough for the city to take a hard look at the Soviet-style police headquarters and consider reinventing or finding a new, more modern headquarters for the police department. Much work remains, but today's momentum in Worcester is real, and it bodes well for the entire region. We all know the cost of living, especially housing, in Greater Boston is punishingly high. A hip, urban scene in Worcester, filled with an increasing number of residential units, can be a really attractive alternative. V I E W P O I N T E D I T O R I A L BY DEBORAH B. GOLDBERG Special to the Worcester Business Journal Deborah S. Goldberg W WO R D F R O M T H E W E B Comments of the issue "The city should hire a transportation firm to run and develop the facility. There is no one inside the city with a solid background in this type of endeavor. Will it cost more? Probably, but a 10-year contract could bring new tenants. Oh, and fire the person who signed long-term leases for under-market rents. This is why investment firms leave rental structures empty until the find the right tenant comes along – long-term, it pays off." - Padraig, March 14, on a story about how Union Station is unlikely to be transferred to the Massachusetts Port Authority as Worcester Regional Airport was. Facebook feedback "It's just the finishing touches of what [President] Reagan did to the mental healthcare system in our country." - Kat Brodeur, March 9, on UMass Memorial Medical Center's plan to reduce the number of psych-unit beds WBJ Tweet of the week "#Worcester mentioned as most overlooked travel destination, called a creative hub in its own right! #discovercentralma" - Discover Central MA (@VisitCentralMA) on March 8, responding to a story on Worcester being ranked the 11th most-overlooked travel destination in the country W The result is a system that lacks the cohesiveness businesses and the ABCC require to operate efficiently and effectively. After a decade of largely public projects meant to catalyze private development, the city's ship is coming in.

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