Juggling Priorities, 'Selling' Worcester
Rick Saia
Blais
After 13 years as its executive vice president, Craig Blais was promoted to the role of president and CEO of the Worcester Business Development Corp. (WBDC) in April, taking over amid the hyper-activity of downtown redevelopment in Worcester. The former Auburn selectman talked about his role and the WBDC's mission.
The WBDC has its hand in a lot of projects right now. Which do you see as the most critical over the next year?
The most critical project will be the downtown project: the completion of the master plan in the theater district and the completion of an urban renewal plan in that area and obviously the redevelopment of the (former) Telegram & Gazette property (on Franklin Street).
You've been with the organization for 13 years and have now served as its president for six months. Aside from the change in title, is there anything that's different?
(Laughs) There's not a lot that's different. However, I have much more respect for the work that David Forsberg (his predecessor) did as president. Now, having assumed the position and having the responsibilities of the presidency, and being out and about and serving on boards that are necessary and completing my daily workload, that's been something that's been different for me. It's been much more time consuming but I really enjoy it.
What's the most important thing about the WBDC that a business executive who may not be aware of it needs to know?
I think it's the fact that we do not compete with the conventional market. If the private sector will do the deal, the WBDC should not be involved in it. If the private sector or the market is not ready to do the deal, that's how the decision is made for the WBDC to get involved with a specific project.
You've spent the past 26 years in and around government. Are the state and its communities much more attuned to the needs of business today? Or do they need more knowledge?
Since the changes and the incentives that were put in place in the early 1990s, particularly around the tax increment financing incentives and the investment tax credits and historic tax credits that were put in place, there is a much better understanding now at the local level as to the needs of business. (It's) based on the fact that businesses come in and utilize those incentives, and local government has become much more aware of the overall demands on businesses and the needs and constraints that (businesses) have to expand and create jobs.
What does the Worcester area do well in terms of economic growth?
I would say permitting. There's a saying in economic development that what takes three years in Boston takes three months in the Worcester area to permit. So it's a much more streamlined, efficient process. And that's not a criticism of Boston. Boston has a lot more external forces at work in the permit process. There's more activism; there's more neighborhood involvement. It just is in an urban city; where here, the process, while it's inclusive and a much more efficient process.
Where can it improve the most?
I think in the area of marketing and telling the story. And getting the story out about what's happening here; how easy it is to permit here. And the cost of doing business here is much more affordable, by way of rents, by way of cost of constriction and workforce. And probably the most important: the cost of housing in Worcester. We do not do a good job of telling the story to future economic development investors.
What's the toughest part of your job?
The toughest part of my job is establishing priorities, because a lot of times things are moving on parallel courses here. We want to be there for as many folks as we can to help our mission of expanding the tax base and creating jobs. There are a lot challenges that we could take on and you gotta figure out a way to prioritize them and balance the workload of the staff.
This interview was conducted and edited for length by Rick Saia, Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer.
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Craig Blais, president and CEO, Worcester Business Development Corp.
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