Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | Fact Book 2017 | Worcester Business Journal 13 S ituated in the heart of New England and directly accessible by a number of major interstate highways, Marlborough is considered a premier business loca- tion and a regional biotech hub. For the past 11 years, the Marlborough Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) has been successfully dis- seminating that message. A public-private partnership for plan- ning, the MEDC has been recognized as one of the Commonwealth's most visible and effective promoters of local economic development. A mere 40-minute drive from Boston and a 15-minute drive to Worcester, Marlborough gives companies access to a variety of relatively lower-priced commercial spaces and a vast pool of highly educated employees. The city's proximity to the region's largest urban centers, along with close to 2,000 hotel rooms – the largest concentration outside of Greater Boston – and a wide range of function facilities, make it appealing to business travelers, regional tourists and meeting planners alike. With nearly 40,000 residents, Marlborough offers a small- town feel with big city amenities. Those who live and work here enjoy a true sense of community, quality of life and wide variety of restaurants, hotels, retail stores, sports and recreational facili- ties, green spaces, bike trails, ponds and creeks. Engineers, sci- entists, and software designers choose this area for its high-tech employers, affordable home prices and top-rated schools. The Marlborough school district runs a nationally recognized early- college STEM education program, and the city's charter school has consistently been ranked among the top three high schools in Massachusetts. During the last five years, the MEDC has attracted dozens of small and large companies to the area, bringing more than 6,000 new jobs to the city and lowering the overall commercial vacancy rate by over 50 percent. In 2012, the MEDC collaborated with the city and Atlantic Management to create an overlay district that enabled the cre- ation of a mixed-use development, Marlborough Hills, at the site of the former Hewlett-Packard campus. The space now houses the GE Healthcare Life Sciences headquarters, the regional offices of Quest Diagnostics and Whole Foods, as well Marlborough Economic Development Corporation Marlborough Economic Development Corporation Address: 91 Main Street, Suite 204, Marlborough, MA 01749 Phone: 508-229-2010 Website: http:// marlboroughhedc.com Executive Director: Meredith Harris Year founded: 2006 Tagline: At the Crossroads of New England as the newly constructed Hilton Garden Inn Hotel and Avalon Bay residential community. Marlborough's progressive management, pro-business adminis- tration and well maintained infrastructure have also drawn other large regional employers to the city, including Boston Scientific, Raytheon, The TJX Companies, Dow Chemical, Hologic, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, Ken's Foods, and Western Digital. Over the past year, the MEDC has worked alongside the city to attract and assist the development of the region's largest recreation complex, the Apex Center of New England. The 475,000-square- foot mixed-use development consists of a 150,000-square-foot entertainment center, two hotels, six restaurants, and a variety of retail stores and office buildings, and is expected to create about 1,600 jobs when fully operational by the end of 2017. The MEDC has also been actively promoting Marlborough's downtown area to smaller retailers, restaurateurs, and residential developers, after leading the efforts to rezone the district in 2014 to allow a number of new uses by right, including brewpubs and music recording studios. To assist small business owners and entrepreneurs to start, expand or improve a business, the MEDC launched the Marlborough Economic Development Toolbox in 2015. The pro- grams defray costs through gap financing, tax reimbursements, rental assistance, and beautification grants. The newest addition to the Toolbox—a dedicated amenities funding program—is spe- cifically geared toward brewpubs and restaurants and provides up to $25,000 in funding for rental and equipment costs. Shortly after the program launched in 2017, Walden Woods Brewing became the first brewery to sign a lease in Marlborough. Dedicated to providing vision and advocacy for the city to enhance the quality of life through balanced economic, housing and cultural development, the MEDC continues to strengthen partnerships with all levels of government and to work with numerous planning organizations across the state. Contact Executive Director Meredith Harris at 508-229-2010 or mharris@marlboroughedc.com to find out how your business can become part of this thriving community. LEFT: GE Healthcare Life Sciences opened its U.S. headquarters in Marlborough in 2016. At the Crossroads of New England FB TOP: The Apex Center of New England, a 475,000 SF mixed-use develop- ment in Marlborough, was built in just over a year and was more than 95% leased when it began opening for business in Oct 2017. After rezoning Marlborough's downtown in 2014, the MEDC is now working to attract more restaurants, brewpubs and modern amenities to the area. E C O N O M I C P R O F I L E S P O N S O R E D

• Cover