Worcester Business Journal

22 2018 Economic Forecast • Worcester Business Journal • www.wbjournal.com TECHNOLOGY MADE SIMPLE IT HEADACHE REDUCTION Are you a small business owner struggling to stay on top of your IT investment? Lean on the pros at Trivium Technology 86 Leominster Road Sterling, MA 01564 978.219.2500 www.triviumtech.net • Managed IT Services • 3CX Phone Systems • Specializing in serving small to mid-size companies for the LONG RUN • Let us help YOU get the most value from your IT investment. "Our single most important goal is to build long term client relationships built on trust and value." Frank Leonard President & CEO Ten Year-End Tax Tips 1. Set aside time to plan 2. Defer income to next year 3. Accelerate deductions 4. Factor in the AMT 5. Bump up withholding to cover a tax shortfall 6. Maximize retirement savings 7. Take any required distributions 8. Weigh year-end investment moves 9. Beware the net investment income tax 10. Get help if you need it 10 things to consider as you weigh potential tax moves between now and the end of the year. To learn more or to schedule an appointment contact Scott Scales at 508-244-5178 or sscales @ mlfdbank.com. Investment and Insurance products are not products of the Bank, are not FDIC insured and may lose value. Listed sale prices for Worcester-area homes rose sharply in 2017 after several years being relatively flat. Greater Worcester home prices *As of October Source: Zillow Continued from Page 21 R e a l E s t a t e Lakeway Commons opens on Spag's site T he old Spag's property on Route 9 in Shrewsbury was a nostalgic location for those recalling shopping at the old discount department store. But the 20-acre property near the Worcester line sat underutilized after a Building 19 moved in and then closed after Spag's had already shuttered. Now, a development called Lakeway Commons has brought a type of devel- opment more often seen closer to Boston, with shops, restaurants, housing andWhole Foods Market. The 50,000-square-foot Whole Foods, slated to open in January, will join Burton's Grill, Starbucks, Tavern on the Square, UniBank and others. There are also 250 apartments and 14 townhomes in several buildings at the rear of the site. Lakeway Commons brings a high- end development to what had been a down-scale site, and a stretch of Route 9 that wasn't known so much for desti- nation shopping or dining, or as a place where people would flock to live. It continues the growth of retail plazas in Central Massachusetts opening since the Great Recession – and while retail closures increasingly pile up nationally. In Marlborough, the Apex Center of New England began opening this fall on Route 20 on what had been a rare, prime undeveloped parcel. The $160-million project includes a Hyatt Place and Fairfield Inn & Suites, a Whole Foods will be the anchor of the Lakeway Common development when it opens in January. $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $250,000 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017* HOME PRICES $174,000 $235,000

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