Study: DCU Center creates $46.2M in annual economic impact

Photo | Courtesy of Worcester Railers HC A Worcester Railers game at the DCU Center in Worcester

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A study organized by Worcester’s DCU Center and Digital Federal Credit Union found the Central Massachusetts region’s largest event venue has been responsible for about $204 million in direct spending since 2016.

The study was conducted on behalf of DCU credit union and ASM Global, the Los Angeles-based global sports venue and convention center management firm, by Minnesota-based CSL International, a venue-focused advisory and planning firm. The credit union funded the study, according to a Wednesday press release from the DCU Center.

The study found the 14,000-seat arena and attached convention center has generated an average of $27.6 million in annual direct spending and $18.6 million in annual indirect and induced spending, resulting in $46.2 million in annual economic impact.

These stats cover from 2016 to 2024 but exclude the COVID-19 pandemic-impacted years of 2020 and 2021, according to the study.

“The DCU Center represents our mission of making a meaningful impact for our members and their local communities,” Shruti Miyashiro, president and CEO of DCU credit union, said in a Wednesday press release issued by the venue. “Not only are we focused on providing our members with an exceptional financial experience, but we’re also committed to improving the quality of life and economic vitality of the communities we serve.”

The study found the venue generates an annual average of $15.4 million in personal income for its roughly 636 full- and part-time employees and generated 32,700 hotel room nights over the course of the six years which were examined.

In 2024, the venue saw 691,800 visitors, an average of about 1,895 per day. The number of events hosted by the venue has rebounded to about 90% of pre-pandemic levels, with the attendance exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 20%.

“Understanding the impact of one of the city’s largest venues for hosting events helps identify some of the key drivers for downtown and tourism here in Worcester,” Monique Messier Joseph, president of tourism agency Discover Central Massachusetts, said in the press release. “We will use the information gleaned from this study to work with ASM Global on marketing strategies that will help Worcester grow our visitation of 700,000 in 2024 to over 900,000 by 2030.”

The study was requested and funded by DCU credit union as part of its $1.8-million naming rights renewal agreement it reached in May, which runs through 2027. The full study can be found here.

The DCU Center underwent a $7-million renovation in 2023 upgrading all of the arena’s seating.

In 2023, Legends Hospitality, a New York-based company and a joint venture of the ownership of the New York Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys, announced its intent to acquire ASM Global. That deal was finalized in August, according to a Legends press release.

Opened in 1982, the DCU Center is owned by the City of Worcester.

Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.