title: Industrial Lands Survey Worcester, Massachusetts
Creators: name: (:Unkn) Unknown
Publisher: name: University of Massachusetts Amherst
Year: 1996
Subjects: subject: Industrial Lands
subject: Worcester
subject: Massachusetts
subject: Zoning
subject: Infrastructure
subject: Economic Opportunity Area
subject: Economic Policy
subject: Economics
subject: Growth and Development
subject: Industrial Organization
subject: Regional Economics
subject: Urban, Community and Regional Planning
subject: Urban Studies and Planning

description: The Center for Economic Development at the University of Massachusetts, in Amherst, is part of the Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning Department, and is funded by the Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the University of Massachusetts.
description: The purpose of this report is to provide the Worcester City Manager's Office of Planning and Community Development with an inventory of industrially zoned properties within the City's designated Economic Opportunity Areas (EOA): Southern District, Pullman Street, Greendale, and Northeast. This inventory includes a database consisting of property information for all four EOAs, as well as a more detailed analysis of the Main South Industrial Cluster of the Southern District EOA. The first two chapters of the report provide a brief introduction to the City and the project, highlighting the economic history of Worcester and the region. As the region has evolved from an industrially-based to a service-oriented economy, Worcester is faced with the challenge of providing incentives for the revitalization of outmoded infrastructure. The City of Worcester has been designated as an Economic Target Area by the State of Massachusetts, which allows the City to target qualified areas for redevelopment through the use of Tax Increment Financing and other financial incentives. One of the first steps in this revitalization effort is an accurate inventory of the area's industrial properties Chapter three discusses the methodology, which, for the inventory portion of the report, primarily consists of a compilation of assessor's data. The more detailed analysis of the Main South Industrial Cluster also includes a character profile of the area, vacancy assessment information, and potential business matching. Chapter four provides a detailed outline of the inventory and its components, including allowed uses as currently zoned, general information included for each parcel, physical description of the real property, and vital statistics of existing structures or buildings. Chapter five consists of a more detailed profile and analysis of the Main South Industrial Cluster of the Southern District EOA. Highlighted are the area's strengths and challenges, an assessment of each parcel's availability for development, an analysis of the area's inventory, and appropriate business development potential. The final chapter consists of a summary of recommendations and conclusions aimed at effective and efficient redevelopment of the industrial areas within the City of Worcester. Some of these include bringing suitable buildings up to code, targeting low water usage industries, better data management, and coordination between the City of Worcester and industrial brokers on available properties.