Worcester’s city solicitor, former chief development officer to retire in January
Photo I Courtesy of Matt Wright
Michael Traynor, former chief development officer and current city solicitor, stands inside Worcester's Union Station.
After nearly 40 years serving the City of Worcester, Michael Traynor, former chief development officer and current city solicitor, will retire on Jan. 10.
Traynor began his municipal career in the City in 1988 as an assistant city solicitor and has served as city solicitor since 2020. He was the City’s chief development officer from 2014 to 2020, according to a Friday press release from the City.
“I want to congratulate Mike on an impressive and impactful tenure as a public servant to the City of Worcester,” City Manager Eric Batista said in the release. “His dedication to this community is unmatched and his legacy will remain through the numerous policies and economic development projects he led, of which the city stands to benefit for years to come.”
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Throughout his tenure, Traynor played key roles in numerous city development initiatives, in addition to providing legal advice for city projects.
He offered legal counsel during restoration projects for Union Station, the DCU Center, and Worcester Technical High School, as well as for the sale of the Belmont Home and the Lincoln Square Boys Club.
Traynor was instrumental during the acquisition, disposition, and redevelopment of the former Worcester County courthouse and the development of the South Worcester Industrial Park, according to the release.
He was a central figure during negotiations to bring the Worcester Red Sox, a Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, to the city in 2021 and in the development plan for the Polar Park baseball stadium, an achievement he considers the pinnacle of his tenure.
“I am incredibly grateful and proud to have worked 37 years in service to the City of Worcester. I have countless memories of the City employees I have worked with, the lawyers I encountered on the other side of the table, and projects I have worked on over the years,” Traynor said in the release. “A municipal lawyer is a generalist wrapped in a specialty practice, and it has been immensely satisfying to navigate this field of law to support and further the different administrations’ visions to make Worcester a better place.”
Traynor graduated from the UMass Amherst and Suffolk University Law School in Boston.
The City’s administration is considering its options for Traynor’s successor and will announce its plan before his retirement.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
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