NOTABLE COMMENTS AND STORIES

• Our committee met with District Councilor Bill Eddy about the importance of expanding our tax base and focusing on business retention to stabilize taxes for business and residents. He says the council doesn't know who we are or what we want.
• Former Mayor Konnie Lukes asked several years ago for a report on why Worcester's excise tax income had decreased so much. Not sure what answer she got. The answer we found is another local business sadly disbanded. 120 jobs were lost and the 30,000 cars that were registered in Worcester due to this company's headquarters being here, went away without anyone from the city realizing.
• District 1 Councilor Joff Smith understands there is a problem, yet he is waiting for us to come up with a plan... that would be ...er ... the residents and business owners I guess. Funny I guess we were thinking the city to come up with plan. How about we work together?!
• Caller to WCRN radio while this issue was being discussed… he is trying to move his company to Worcester. It would create over 1000 jobs. His investors will not support this effort due to the dual tax rate.
• From a large Worcester manufacturing company executive…. Companies that manufacture a product can make that product more cost effectively if their vendors are nearby. This has been a tough sell to his vendors because of the cost of doing business in Worcester.

BUSINESSES THAT HAVE CLOSED OR MOVED IN THE PAST 10 YEARS

80's Club: CLOSED
African Museum - Canterbury Street: CLOSED
Allegiant Air: ELIMINATED SERVICE to Worcester
AMI Leasing: CLOSED
Amity Flight School - Worcester Airport: CLOSED
Bancroft Motors: CLOSED
Barber's Crossing - West Boylston Street: CLOSED Worcester location
Burncoat Video - Burncoat Street: CLOSED
Diamond Chevrolet - Park Avenue: MOVED to Auburn
Fidelity Investments - Belmont Street: MOVED across the bridge to Shrewsbury
Flowerland - East Mountain Street: MOVED to West Boylston
Harr Ford - Gold Star Blvd: CLOSED
Last Minute Cafe - Quinsigamond Village: CLOSED
Mayfield Plastics - MOVED to Sutton
Merriam Graves - Brooks Street ~ MOVED
Netflix Distribution Center - Millbrook Street: MOVED to Northboro. 
O'Coin's Homebrands - Mill Street: CLOSED
Parker International Products Inc. - sold to company in Illinois after 85 years in Worcester
Patrick Motors: MOVED to Auburn
Pullman Modular - Pullman Street
M. Steinert & Sons - Gold Star Boulevard - in Worcester for 138 years!! CLOSING WORC LOCATION
Struck Cafe: CLOSED
Super Scoops - Burncoat Street: CLOSED
Tatnuck Bookseller - Chandler Street: CLOSED Worcester location
Winneslon Plumbing - Gold Street: MOVED two miles over the Worc Line into Auburn
House of Spices - Stafford Street: MOVED to Auburn article
Boston Power Inc bypasses Worcester for Auburn ~ 455,000 foot building; 600 jobs. article
Charles River Labs ~ CLOSED Worcester unit

BUSINESS THAT HAVE OPENED

EMPTY COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES

Coming soon...