City Grill

Mike Kearns 
VP of Construction Operations, New England
Shawmut Design and Construction

Commercial and life science space is growing in Worcester, says Kearns. Local institutions such as the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, College of the Holy Cross, Clark University, Assumption University and Worcester State University are investing in academic, residential, lab and research buildings, he says. Because of the pandemic’s impact on students, wellness centers, such as one Shawmut is building at Worcester Polytechnic, are expanding physical and mental health services, Kearns points out. 

Hosting eight colleges and universities, Worcester is “working to retain recent graduates,” he says, by making the city a place “where you can learn, live and work.” A new minor league baseball park “helped expand hospitality [opportunities] with restaurants, a food market and breweries all around the ballpark,” Kearns says, noting new public schools and new multifamily residential units also help. “Essentially, all major markets are firing strong right now in Worcester,” he says.