Worcester Approves $583M City Square

[KentXie]

I don't know much about the WRTA but if they do not provide enough coverage with their bus system, then I don't see much of a problem for the development to be more auto-centric.

[Boston02124]

going to worcester tomorrow,these are from last week Belmont st if only these were downtown><tomorrow if I have time I'll get some better shots of this area.

[found5dollar]

Handy little map of the project so far from my favorite poster on Flicker about the mall coming down. http://www.flickr.com/photos/vista-d...7626616638712/

[Boston02124]

today maybe this thread should be changed to Worcester Development/all things Worcester?

[DCournoyer1993]

Hi guys, so I live in Worcester, and I've been meaning to post some images of what is going on in the city. This is kind of a long post, I meant to get pictures of the buildings under construction during the winter, but I was out of the city for college. I figured I'd cover projects I was aware of, and I posted images around parts of the city just so people can see other spots of Worcester.

CitySquare:
This is looking from Franklin Street across the area of the old mall to the Unum Building, behind the pile of dirt is the foundation for the St. Vincent Cancer Center which has also started construction.




Here is the front of the Unum Building as seen from the DCU Center. Mercantile Street will go right to the right of the building.


This is where Front Street will be extended to Union Station.



College of Optometry at MCPHS:
Last fall MCPHS announced they were going to open a college of Optometry at their Worcester Campus at their new property that they acquired when the Crowne Plaza Closed. The building is a six story block built into the complex of the old hotel next to the nine story dorm that was the old hotel. Personally I don't like the building, it has no doors to Main Street and it is gated off from the street. The only thing I like about it is that it is breaking up the sprawling one story base of the old hotel that housed the pool and ballrooms.


WRTA Bus Hub at Union Station:
I really do not know too much about this facility besides the fact that it will remove the major bus transfer in the city from City Hall Plaza to Union Station. They have started ground work but not much else. Here is the banner up around the property. It is right across from the CitySquare development.


The Canal Lofts on Water Street:
Right by I-290 there was an old furniture store in this mill, however the building was bought and redeveloped into apartments. I believe it is a mix of market rate and low income apartments, and the upper floors are two floor loft style apartments. You can view interior images here




Renovations to Water Street and Canal District:
On Water Street, Green Street, and Millbury Street the city is creating new sidewalks, adding new street lights, trees, a bike lane, and repaving the streets. This district is part of a restaurant/club area that has everything from old bars in Tenements to four star restaurants. It will hopefully spur more development in the area. This is an interesting area filled with old mills, it's gritty but its kind of cool, and the city offers walking tours of the area and I believe local college kids put on a horse drawn carrige tour in the summer and it is home to the summer edition of sTART on the Street which is an outdoor arts festival with over 200 vendors and attracts upwards of 40,000 people in good weather.


The Portland Street Lofts
While this isn't the most visually appealing development it is bringing more residential options to downtown, this was once an indoor car dealership and it was converted to apartments by the Bancroft Commons Company. They are the owners of the entire stretch of Franklin Street on the Worcester Common. I don't know much about this at all, but it was/is a devlopment in the city and they seem to also be doing something with the old Paris Cinema which is an abandoned X rated theatre on the Worcester Common.



Renovations to the Facade of the Verizon Building
The Verizon Building is undergoing what appears to be renovations to the facade. It is an art deco building on the western edge of downtown.


New Gateway Park Building
The newest building at Gateway Park on North Main Street is a biomed building built with the help of WPI. It is a four story building, I like this because it goes well with the large Northworks Mill complex behind it. However it is very istolated from downtown because of the awful network of wide streets in Lincoln Square.


New WPI Dorm
Little more than a week ago WPI announced a new dorm almost directly across from the new Gateway Park Building. Groundbreaking will be this month on the four story building that will go up on an empty lot. It was designed by ADD.inc. Link to small rendering
This lot is the site of the dorm


Main Street Building Renovation
An older stone building on Main Street appears to be having some work done on it by Raymond James Restoration as I noticed scaffolding was up on the other side of the building. I believe this building was abandoned last time I went by it so hopefully something will move into it.


Other images of downtown
Elm Street Apartments:



Worcester Historical Museum, also on Elm Street


Looking Northeast Towards Downtown



Alley Near City Hall


Elm Street


From Worcester Common


Elm Street Homes


Looking Towards Mechanics Hall


Off Southbridge Street


Elm Park District





Castle Street of Main Street in Main South


Last Summer When The Crompton and Knowles Mill was being Destroyed


Southgate Street

[found5dollar]

I had my prom at the Crowne Plaza... weird that it is now a college. ASlso, the new bus hub is kinda exciting. I am likely going to StART on the Street tomorrow so i will try to get some pictures of the 4 times a year festival for every one tomorrow.

[Lrfox]

Awesome rundown of projects. I know many cities in other states and even other countries better than I know Worcester so I enjoyed seeing your photos. It looks like there are some really impressive streets in the city chalk full of top notch architecture. Great stuff!

[Boston02124]

[JohnAKeith]

Tip: Google "image resize my photos".

[found5dollar]

So there is a ton of construction going on in Worcester. Here is a brief summary:

This article by worcester magazing touches on just about everything currently being built: http://www.worcestermag.com/city-des...171358071.html

The Centrum (DCU center for those of you you use that term) is getting a major renovation and new facade:http://www.worcestermag.com/city-des...168738116.html


Vistadome on flickr has been keeping a photographic account of some of the more major projects in the city ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/vista-dome/sets/ ) You guys should really check them out.

The New Transit Hub: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vista-d...7629544163496/

CSX rail yard: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vista-d...7629439735142/

City Square: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vista-d...7626616638712/

[BeeLine]

WPI gets a $42.5 mil bond to go forward with a 250 bed dorm.

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/re...-42m-bond.html

[BostonUrbEx]

Something isn't right, here...

[found5dollar]

hahaha that has to be where they tore down the huge ramp into the parking garage.

[CDubs]

The new WPI dorm is going up pretty fast. Posting these here, as this thread has become the Worcester Development Clearinghouse:

[BeeLine]

Is this a rendering of this new dorm?


WPI East Dorm

[found5dollar]

where is then new dorm at? it looks like over near the center for crafts, but i cant quite tell.

[BeeLine]

^^^^ The WPI website gives the address as 10 Faraday Street. (Corner of Faraday and Grove).

[CDubs]

I don't think that's a rendering of this building. This is the one that I've seen online:



There's a different rendering at the construction site that I'll take a photo of and post. Faraday and Grove is close to the intersection of I290 and route 9 - near Gateway Park and WPI's new-ish biosciences building.

[CDubs]

Here are the renderings at the WPI dorm site. I like it. It will bring some much needed color to the area. It would be fantastic if some of the ground floor ended up being retail, I don't know what the plan is. Currently, there's not much in the way of lunch food choices around there, though I've heard that something is in the works on the ground floor of the new business school building.

[found5dollar]

Front street will be open for December 31st!

http://www.telegram.com/article/2012...112139932/1116

[img] http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcsi.d...=1002&MaxW=740 [/img]

WORCESTER — Front Street will reopen Dec. 31, Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray said yesterday, in time for people to parade on First Night straight through what was for years a shopping mall to Union Station.

The mall, built 40 years ago, eliminated the Front Street connection to Washington Square, effectively cutting off downtown from the city’s East Side. As part of the CitySquare downtown redevelopment project, the connection across Foster Street is being re-established.

Speaking to business leaders in Grafton, Mr. Murray and Secretary of Transportation Richard A. Davey were discussing commuter rail line improvements at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.

“That looks like a possible date where people can come down, hopefully buy a First Night Worcester pin, a great Central Mass. celebration, then join us in a march from the Common to Union Station and hop on a train and come down here,” he said.