Worcester looks to boost GreenTech Park development with tax break zone

Worcester has designated 30 acres of GreenTech Park as a tax increment financing zone, positioning the former Saint-Gobain campus for future manufacturing and commercial development.

The Worcester City Council approved the zone designation Sept. 22 following a favorable recommendation from its Economic Development Committee. The zone covers land along Interstate 190 within the 51-acre GreenTech Park campus in the Greendale neighborhood.

The action does not provide a tax break to a developer or tenant. Instead, it allows City Manager Eric Batista to negotiate future tax increment financing agreements for projects within the zone, according to the resolution. 

Any future agreement would require City Council approval and would establish project-specific terms, including the extent and duration of any property-tax exemption.

The resolution identifies commercial development and advanced manufacturing as intended uses for the site. It cites job creation, expansion of Worcester’s commercial tax base, and broader economic growth as reasons for establishing the zone.

The Worcester Business Development Corp. acquired the former Saint-Gobain campus in November 2022. The quasi-public economic development organization has been preparing the property for redevelopment through environmental cleanup, utility and infrastructure upgrades, and the construction of new public roadways.

WBDC said in a Wednesday announcement that the TIF designation will give the 30-acre portion of the site a more competitive tax rate for prospective manufacturers. The organization said the incentive could help GreenTech Park compete with locations in surrounding communities and other states with lower tax rates.

Craig Blais, WBDC president, said in the announcement the designation moves the property closer to being ready for development and could help attract investment and jobs to the city.

GreenTech Park is marketed as a pad-ready industrial site with parcels able to accommodate buildings ranging from 60,000 to 450,000 square feet. The site has access to I-190 through a full-diamond interchange, according to WBDC.

The lone tenant for GreenTech Park so far is New York-based Restaurant Depot, which is planning a 50,000-square-foot wholesale warehouse.

Worcester, the WBDC, and union representatives signed a community benefit agreement for the 51-acre development in February.