City Scoop: Worcester
With city-sponsored projects such as Polar Park—the baseball stadium under construction for the minor-league Worcester Red Sox—halted by the city’s COVID-19 work-stop order as of press time, “the extent of the damage the pandemic has caused remains to be seen,” Anthony Consigli says. “
Before the COVID-19 crisis, value of new contracts was expected to fall by nearly 25%
Declines had been forecast to be particularly sharp in the non-residential and residential categories.
City Grill
Anthony Consigli
CEO
Consigli Construction Co.
With city-sponsored projects such as Polar Park—the baseball stadium under construction for the minor-league Worcester Red Sox—halted by the city’s COVID-19 work-stop order as of press time, “the extent of the damage the pandemic has caused remains to be seen,” Consigli says. “Being a gateway city, Worcester is cost sensitive, but it is still as poised [for any potential rebound] as anywhere in New England because of the diversity of markets.” He adds that the ballpark project includes a “mixed-use component beyond the stadium” that “will provide new, productive uses and density to enhance the Worcester district as a place to live, work and play.” The stadium is scheduled to open in 2021.
Consigli says Worcester’s eventual post-shutdown rebound will benefit from its ability to work well with the local chamber of commerce to move “quickly and nimbly” to get “large projects off the ground.” Harnessing public-private partnerships to spur development such as the ballpark has also given Worcester “a real competitive advantage,” says Consigli, who notes there will be many opportunities to “help revitalize an already unique and vibrant city.”
