Worcester Business Journal

12 Worcester Business Journal | January 22, 2018 | wbjournal.com F OC U S E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T BY GRANT WELKER Worcester Business Journal News Editor A long-vacant site in Worcester's Canal District has been in the headlines as a potential site for a new minor league ball- park, and the redevelopment of the old Galleria mall site a few blocks to the north is carrying momentum of a recovering downtown. These are far from the only sites in Worcester and across Central Massachusetts carrying major opportu- nities. Even as a lot of attention has been paid to downtowns, it is sites out- side the area's densest neighborhoods with the potential for the most change and growth in the area. These properties – which could host retail, housing, industrial or office com- plexes, or some mix – are practically hiding in plain sight, simply waiting for the right buyer or builder. "We need to create more pad-ready sites for commercial and industrial uses, because when we do, we have success," said Timothy Murray, the president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. After interviews with real estate bro- kers, business and municipal leaders, and property owners, WBJ has compiled a list of the 20 most developable sites in Central Massachusetts, based on their size, zoning, infrastructure, proximity to major highways, and listed price. A church & a car dealership On the other side of I-290 from Downtown Worcester, the former Mount Carmel church site on Mulberry Street has more than five acres of developable space with easy highway access and great visibility. "The accessibility is pretty much unmatched," said Jim Umphrey, a principal at Kelleher & Sadowsky, the Worcester real estate firm marketing the property. The site has drawn interest for a potential hotel, residential develop- ment, or mix of residential and hous- ing, Umphrey said. The property's zon- ing allows for a mix of uses with a fair- ly high level of density. "There's a significant amount of interest in the property," Umphrey said. Off Lincoln Street, a busy commer- cial thoroughfare, a 13-acre wooded site is envisioned for 140 apart- ments and 26 duplex units. Two sites of about seven acres each are available on Park Avenue on the west side of Worcester, including David "Duddie" Massad's property that used to host Diamond Chevrolet. "We've been undecided on what to do with it," Massad said of the site, where former automotive buildings were demolished this winter. He said he doesn't have much preference for what's built on the site but thinks it carries a high potential. It's "the No.1 piece of property in the city of Worcester with nothing on it," Massad said. Big empty spaces outside Worcester Larger sites outside Worcester are available for new construction, often on high-traffic areas. In Webster, a nearly 19-acre wooded lot stands available on Route 12 amid a commercial stretch that includes a Kmart, Anytime Fitness and Family Dollar on one side, and a Price Chopper and Panera Bread just down the road on the other side. I-395's Exit 3 is less than a mile away. The former Sutton drive-in movie theater on Route 146 is available and zoned for use as retail, office or hotel, as one of the available sites off the highway in town. Timothy Murray David "Duddie" Massad Jim Umphrey, a principal with the Worcester real estate firm Kelleher & Sadowsky, is the listing agent for the former Mount Carmel church, which has hundreds of feet fronting I-290. Developable Sites in Central Mass. Often unheralded, these properties offer the greatest potential for commercial development The 20 most P H O T O / E D D C O T E

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