Worcester Business Journal

10 Worcester Business Journal | June 11, 2018 | wbjournal.com BY ZACHARY COMEAU Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer Imagining a new Hopedale The former Draper mill presents both an obstacle and an opportunity as town officials push for new commercial development T he Draper mill has been festering vacant for 40 years, a 1-million-square- foot building on a 100-acre property dominating the center of Hopedale. e property is both a tie to the town's manufacturing past and – for better or worse – a vital part of its future, as town officials are pushing for new development to transform the Hopedale economy and revitalize its downtown. Aer 28 years of the current owner letting the building remain stagnant, Hopedale town officials are now considering drastic action to accelerate any kind of movement on the property, including possibly eminent domain. e town formed an Urban Renewal Committee earlier this year to develop a plan to address the mill and several other aging properties, including Town Hall and the library. "We're taking very aggressive action right now to determine what our options are going forward," Selectman Tom Wesley, who's leading the urban renewal push that began in earnest in February. An economic engine e Draper Corp. – once the largest manufacturer of textile looms in the country – and its mill once fueled the Greater Hopedale economy. Hundreds of housing units were constructed for workers, including those still in town today. At one point, the company account- ed for more than half of the town's tax revenue. In its heyday, the factory employed more than 3,000 people before it closed in the 1970s aer technology advances made textile looms obsolete. Nearly half a century aer it closed in 1979, the small town of about 6,000 relies on residents to pay about 90 per- cent of the town's taxes. Now, industrial or commercial activi- ty is hard to come by in the small town. Because of its size and prominence, the opportunities at Draper mill to con- tribute to a remade Hopedale economy are endless: a boutique hotel, office space, apartments condominiums. ere has even been talk of extending the MBTA's Franklin line to Hopedale, but nothing has ever materialized. Selectmen Lou Arcudi said his father and grandfather worked in the mill, so seeing it torn down or renovated would erase part of the town's history, but the town is desperate for tax revenue. "It's really tough to get money, so we burden our [residential] taxpayers," said Arcudi. e building is in a state of disrepair, though Worcester-based First American Realty – the owners – have taken steps to clear the building of environmental hazards. 30 years & no new development Philip Shwachman, president of First American Realty, has owned the prop- erty via various entities for about three decades. He said two years ago he want- ed to be free of the building and find a buyer, but nothing has changed since. "I've heard of no substantiated rumor or caught no wind of any potential de- veloper on the horizon," Wesley said. Shwachman could not be reached for comment for this story. In a 2013 interview with WBJ, Shwachman said the once defunct Graon & Upton Railroad – which has since changed ownership and has been operational for five years – could help bring new life to the mill, but added any developer would need a wealth of experience and access to capital. "It's a viable railhead now," Wesley said. e town has begun working to establish a local historic district to sync up with the efforts of the Blackstone Valley National Corridor. Shwachman's property was included in the district, a move he in May said would make any future Draper mill redevelopment impossible. A town committee eventually gave in to Shwachman's request and removed the property from consideration. Despite relinquishing on the historic (Top) The former Draper mill site takes up 100 acres of Hopedale's downtown. (Above) Selectman Tom Wesley has discussed using eminent domain to spur development at the prominent site. PHOTOS/MATT WRIGHT

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