Worcester: A Different Kind Of College Town?

Jacquelyn Gutc The expansion of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has helped grow the presence of college students in downtown Worcester.

Craig Blais of the Worcester Business Development Corp. “We're sort of thinking of a different approach of bringing the students and density to the area first.”

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Worcester is home to nine colleges and universities that educate more than 35,000 full-time students. Yet, many recognize that the city lacks a “college town” feel that many other cities experience.

“When some people think of a traditional college town, they're usually thinking about a community that has a walkable district with an eclectic mix of establishments which cater to a younger customer base. These walkable districts are typically located adjacent to or are incorporated into the college/university's neighborhood,” Mark Bilotta, CEO of the Colleges of Worcester Consortium (COWC), wrote in an email. “What Worcester has is nine smaller colleges and universities physically located in the city but geographically dispersed.”

Jack Foley, vice president of government and community affairs and campus services at Clark University, agreed, saying, “Although we have 30,000 students plus here in Worcester, it's not the same that you'll find in many other cities and towns where it's one large institution that dominates the city or town.” That, he said, combined with Worcester's population of about 181,000, may work against trying to build a “college town” reputation.

“If it were a smaller community with only 30,000 or 40,000 people, you'd really feel the presence,” he said.

Waiting On CitySquare

Foley is one of many college and local officials who hope the downtown CitySquare project can lead to a more active college community. There has been talk of luxury apartments and a four-star hotel as part of the multi-million-dollar development, which will include up to 100,000 square feet of retail space between City Hall and the DCU Center. CitySquare will also make downtown more accessible from other parts of the city.

Bilotta said the consortium hopes CitySquare will help bring students together in a walkable, central area with a mix of businesses in close proximity that would ideally include coffee shops, retail and restaurants. Having a mix of businesses within a close proximity is important for students, Foley said, because with many not having cars, transportation is an issue for them.

He said students often leave the city to shop at such places as The Shoppes at Blackstone Valley in Millbury or Solomon Pond Mall in Marlborough. And right now, many retail needs would go unmet downtown. Foley said a grocery store and an electronics retailer in the area would be beneficial.

“There isn't necessarily a major shopping area that caters to college students, and I think that's a market that's wide open,” Foley said. “That's the missing link here a little bit.”

However, not all ideas for drawing the younger set to a central location rely on businesses bringing them there. One, in particular, would take the opposite approach. The Worcester Business Development Corp. (WBDC) has worked with stakeholders, including the city's colleges, to develop a master plan that would focus on bringing parts of the schools to downtown, with the idea that they will bring students, eventually spurring business creation.

“A lot of times, you make the mistake of leading with retail and uses,” said WBDC President and CEO Craig Blais. “We're sort of thinking of a different approach of bringing the students and density to the area first.”

WBDC’s Three-Part Plan

Blais said the plan includes three major components:

• Construction of twin indoor ice hockey rinks on a vacant 35-acre municipal lot near the Worcester Public Library as part of the proposed theater district, anchored by the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts;

• Graduate student housing linked to internships at businesses downtown; and

• Shared program space for the colleges.

“We're sort of incorporating all those approaches into our master plan. We think those three areas would be helpful in populating the downtown with college students in the hopes that businesses would want to relocate to where the college students are,” Blais said.

Larger College Presence Downtown

The expansion of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences into downtown, and talks of Quinsigamond Community College opening a location in the former Telegram & Gazette building on Franklin Street, are two examples of colleges choosing downtown.

However, Bilotta said he expects CitySquare and the theater district to supplement what the Canal District has already started.

“My money is on the Canal District continuing to build its brand. In this case, 'Build it and they are coming,' ” he said.

The Canal District, which includes Green and Water streets, is looked to as a growing area of the city in the past decade, with a vibrant night scene, having about 30 bars, clubs and restaurants.

“We're striving to be the social district for college students and we are working on that and continuing to reach out to the colleges,” said John Giangregorio, chair of the Canal District Business Association.

He'd like to see colleges offer off-campus meal cards for restaurants, better transportation and more venues for college students younger than 21 years old to help get them into the city.

Worcester's economic development director, Timothy McGourthy, said the city is on a path toward integrating college life with city life. He and Bilotta said there are businesses and efforts already geared toward college students, though they'd like to see more.

McGourthy pointed toward colleges that work with the Hanover Theatre to stage performances there.

Meanwhile, Bilotta noted that student discounts are “everywhere” and businesses hang signs welcoming students to the area. He said businesses such as tanning salons, pizzerias, grocery stores, restaurants, bars and clubs all “can't wait for the end of August when the cars and vans start rolling back” to campuses.

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