Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | April 3, 2017 | Worcester Business Journal 11 the building's configuration is a poor fit for traditional office and retail uses. Redevelopment for office use would cost an estimated $13 million, while residential, hotel or a mixture of resi- dential and some retail use would cost around $15 million, MEDC said. "It's the most iconic piece of down- town," Harris said. 290 495 495 85 85 85 20 20 20 495 D o na l d Lync h B l v d . P l easant S treet El m S t r ee t E l m S t r ee t Robin H ill S treet B o undar y Stree t Hayes Memorial Drive B a rtl e tt S t. Main St. H o s m e r S tr ee t S to w R oad Far m R d . So u th S treet W e s t H ill R d . W il l i a m s S t Forest St. A m e s S t. S i m a r an o D r i ve M A R L B O R O U G H New England Sports Center is adding two new rinks slated to open in August, the facility's seventh and eighth. Apex Center of New England on Route 20 will have 475,000 square feet of mixed use, including two hotels, several restaurants and an entertainment center. Talia Apartments opened off Ames Street last year with 165 units. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 7. 6. 1. 2. 3. Marlborough redevelopment projects M A P / M I T C H E L L H A Y E S P H O T O / G R A N T W E L K E R P H O T O / G R A N T W E L K E R The former high school, which dates to the late 1800s, is being considered for a potential residential, office or hotel development. 4. P H O T O / G R A N T W E L K E R A new five-story brick building with 32 resi- dential units is planned for 163-167 Main St. 5. P H O T O / G R A N T W E L K E R Roughly 40 units would be built on top of the Atrium Place building that includes the Fish restaurant, Starbucks and others. The project still requires permitting. 6. P H O T O / G R A N T W E L K E R Roughly 12 residential unites are slated for the 28 Bolton St. building. The project still requires permitting. 7. P H O T O / G R A N T W E L K E R P H O T O / N E W E N G L A N D S P O R T S C E N T E R Marlborough, in 2016 Source: Marlborough Economic Development Corp., Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development • 25 new or expanded companies • 400 jobs added to labor market • 10% commercial vacancy rate • 295,000-plus square feet of new commercial space occupied • 3.3% unemployment rate in January Site work is starting on a 32-unit development at 165 Main St., and two other projects around the corner on South Bolton Street have been proposed. They'll join two developments west of Interstate 495 – Avalon Marlborough and Talia Apartments – that added more than 500 residential units. The speedy response by residential developers – more than 900 units approved by the city in five years – led the City Council in February to put a six-month moratorium in place for new housing projects to give the city a chance to first study existing demand and what effect additional housing could have on city services. "We're not looking to change, to be a big city," Vigeant said. Bringing in more visitors Given the role hotel taxes play in Marlborough's plans, the city hopes new developments bring in more visitors. The New England Sports Center – the ice rink complex that draws both local sports teams and national tournaments – is expanding, adding two new full-size rinks, a smaller rink and additional common space for families. The facility attracts more than 1 million visitors a W year and expects that number to rise by 20 to 30 percent with the expansion, General Manager Wes Tuttle said. Attractions like the sports center and its positioning between Worcester and Boston resulted in Marlborough having the highest concentration of hotels in the state outside Boston, Vigeant said. "It's not just us. It's the hotels, the res- taurants, the ease of getting around in the community," Tuttle said. "All those things make it all work. They all tie together really, really nicely." The iconic development In the meantime, the Walker Building – the former high school – at 255 Main St. downtown is being considered for resi- dential or mixed-use purposes, a hotel or a municipal office. The city-owned build- ing, the oldest parts of which date to 1897, has been used only on a limited basis for city and nonprofit offices. A MEDC study released in January identified those potential uses but said

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