Vincent Rougeau, president of the College of the Holy Cross
5 hours ago
Holy Cross partners with Polar Park district developer to redevelop former Rotmans furniture site
Photo | Grant Welker
Holy Cross is partnering with Madison Properties to redevelop the former site of Rotmans Furniture.
Madison Properties, the Boston-based developer facing criticism from the City of Worcester for a lack of progress on developments in the Polar Park district, has purchased the 13-acre former site of Rotmans Furniture, as the College of the Holy Cross has partnered with Madison to redevelop the site over the long term.
Madison Brussels LLC, an entity created by Madison Properties President Denis Dowdle in October, purchased the site at 725 Southbridge St. for $7.95 million on Thursday, according to Worcester District Registry of Deeds records. The site was purchased from Brussels Development, a Florida-based entity.
The purchase was followed by a Thursday press release from Holy Cross stating it would be working with Madison to redevelop the site, with the exact redevelopment plan to be determined.
“We are excited about the possibilities for this project to contribute to the vibrancy and character of our neighborhood and to provide new opportunities to serve our campus community,” Holy Cross President Vincent Rougeau said in the press release.
Holy Cross said it has already been in contact with the City of Worcester about its plans. The university said developing a masterplan for the parcel will be a lengthy process, but the end result will be a use serving the school’s core mission as a Jesuit, Catholic liberal arts college.
Holy Cross is considering ways to use the existing structures as part of the redeveloped site.
Madison, the developer behind a 228-unit apartment building across from the Polar Park baseball stadium dubbed The Revington, has been under fire from City officials since November, when it was revealed the firm had backed out of a tax-increment-financing agreement relating to the Left Field biotech building.
A Dec. 13 letter penned by WRA Chair Michael Angelini cast the blame for the ballpark district’s revenue shortfall of $792,000 on Madison, saying the firm had failed to follow through on a number of development agreements in the district. The letter called on Madison to pay taxes and fees it would have owed the City had it completed the Left Field building.
Rotmans site
The property at 725 Southbridge St. features about 300,000 square feet, most of which has sat unused for nearly two years since Rotmans shut down operations after nearly 60 years at the site. Companies including A-1 Wholesale Window and plumbing distributor Washburn-Garfield are still based on the property, according to Google Maps listings.
The complex dates back to the 1870s as part of the Whittmall Mills complex, which once employed 1,500 mill workers.
Image | Courtesy of Worcester Atlas
An entity managed by Madison Properties purchased 725 Southbridge St. for $7.95 million.
Other properties once part of the complex are separate parcels which are not part of the transaction, including 3 Brussels St., the site of businesses like Mrs. Moriconi's Ice Cream and Acoustic Java Roastery & Tasting Room, as well as 1 Brussels St., site of Storage 365,
Denis Dowdle, president of Madison Properties
“The parcel at 725 Southbridge Street is a unique property with a rich history and tremendous potential,” Madison President Denis Dowdle said in the press release. “Holy Cross’ commitment to ensuring the long-term viability of this property has made this transaction possible, and our collaboration is centered on identifying the highest and best long-term use for the property. We look forward to engaging with the city and other stakeholders as the planning process gets underway.”
Holy Cross and Madison
The lengthy planning and development process for the Rotmans site is designed to give Madison time to focus on its Polar Park district projects, Rougeau wrote in a letter to the Holy Cross community on Thursday.
“For more than 60 years, the Rotman family served as stewards of this historic property. We want to make sure that the College and Madison are deliberate in the planning process to ensure we're doing the same for the next generation,” Rougeau wrote. “The timeline of this project, which will begin with an extended master planning period, also enables Madison Properties to maintain its focus on other projects underway in the city, such as development around Polar Park."
Dowdle has previously purchased parcels in the area surrounding Holy Cross, later selling them to the university. This includes 129B, 131 and 133 Kendig St., three parcels Dowdle sold to Holy Cross in 2022 for a combined $975,000.
Holy Cross later constructed an 8,000-square-foot residential building at the site for its Jesuits, a move which irked some local residents and District 3 Councilor George Russell, who felt the community wasn't given enough notification about the project, according to Worcester Telegram & Gazette reporting at the time.
If Holy Cross takes ownership of the site of 725 Southbridge St. at a later date, the institution’s nonprofit status would mean the site would be taking off the City’s tax rolls. The City has previously sought payment-in-lieu of taxes for some properties obtained by nonprofits, as it did with Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s controversial purchase of two hotel parcels.
In an email to WBJ on Friday, Holy Cross Director of Public Relations Nicoleta Jordan said the university has no immediate plans to take the former Rotmans property off the City’s tax rolls.
"It’s also worth noting that the college is currently paying taxes or voluntary contributions to all taxable properties acquired in the past 15 years,” Jordan added.
The former Rotmans site was given a tax assessment value of $4.76 million for 2025, according to City of Worcester property records. At Worcester's 2025 commercial tax rate of $28.60 per $1,000 assessed valuation, the property's tax bill as it sits would be $136,095.
Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was updated to include more details on the property's current tax rate and details from Holy Cross regarding its plans for the site.
0 Comments