Economic Development Reports
Our reports on community and economic development discuss ways in which to expand the tax base, increase employment opportunities, and revitalize neighborhoods and the downtown. Their purpose is to suggest ways to improve Worcester and the surrounding region as a place to live, work, and raise families.
2007
Benchmarking Economic Development in Worcester: 2007 
This report contains updated information for the following performance indicators: the value of the City’s tax base, property tax rates, new construction values, employment and labor force growth, the Downtown office occupancy rate, and vacant and abandoned buildings.
Downtown Worcester Office Occupancy: 2007 Survey
Annual analysis of downtown office occupancy rates in Worcester’s Central Business District and detailed listing of office space available for lease.
Detailed property listings (Appendix A)
Voluntary Contributions to the City of Springfield by its Private Colleges: Findings and Suggestions
This report examines the value and nature of tax-exempt property in Springfield, the financial health of the City and the individual colleges, the services and benefits provided by the colleges to Springfield and its residents, the municipal services that the colleges use, as well as describing PILOT programs (and state local aid programs) in Massachusetts and elsewhere.
2006
Talent Retention Project: Central Massachusetts 1.5MB
Identifies correlations between talent retention and economic prosperity in the region.
Destination Worcester: What's the "Convention-al Wisdom?" 259KB
Report No. 06-01
Analysis of and recommendations for attracting more multi-day conventions and events to Worcester.
2005
Benchmarking Economic Development in Worcester: 2005 310KB
Report No. CCPM-05-04
Fifth annual report benchmarking economic development in Worcester.
Downtown Worcester Office Occupancy Survey 2005
Report No. CCPM-05-05
2004
Benchmarking Economic Development in Worcester: 2004 1005KB
Report No. CCPM-04-07
Fourth annual report benchmarking economic development in Worcester.
Downtown Worcester Office Occupancy Survey 398KB
Report No. CCPM-04-05
Details the status of commercial office space in downtown Worcester.
Will PILOTs Fly in Worcester? Taxing Nonprofits and Other Options 318KB
Report No. 04-04
Examines potential costs and benefits of a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) in Worcester. Worcester is compared with other cities that have instituted PILOTs including Boston, Cambridge, and Providence. It is an update of a 1997 report.
2003
Benchmarking Economic Development in Worcester: 20031.3MB
Report No. 03-05
Third annual report benchmarking economic development in Worcester. Data on Worcester Commercial and Residential real estate market, as well as job market and labor force trends are included.
Downtown Worcester Office Occupancy 2003 234KB
Report No. CCPM-03-04
Compares downtown Worcester office occupancy and rental rates with rates from previous surveys and with other regional communities.
2002
The Role of Regional Planning Agencies in Facilitating Economic Development 2MB Report No. 02-06
After reviewing the work of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission in facilitating economic development in the Pioneer Valley, the Research Bureau encourages the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission to implement several recommendations.
Benchmarking Economic Development in Worcester: 2002 1.6MB
Report No. CCPM-02-05
Second annual report benchmarking economic development in Worcester.
The Case for a Regional Economic Development Alliance in the Greater Worcester Area
79KB
Report No. 02-4
Recommendation for a private sector-initiated organization in the southern part of Worcester County to be called the Worcester Regional Economic Development Alliance (WREDA).
Downtown Worcester Office Occupancy: 2002 Survey 233KB
Report No. CCPM-02-03
Details the status of commercial office space in downtown Worcester.
A Guide to Regional Organizations in the Greater Worcester Area 165KB
Report No. 02-3
Basic information on the 49 organizations that provide regional services in central Massachusetts.
2001
Benchmarking Economic Development in Worcester 3MB
Report No. CCPM-01-01
Presents indicators that highlight trends in Worcester's economic development efforts.
2000
Proposals for Promoting Economic Development in Worcester 56KB
Report No. 00-6
The recent changes in the way Worcester's municipal economic development functions are organized present an opportunity to improve accountability and program coordination within and between the municipal agencies involved in economic development.
Revitalizing Worcester's Neighborhoods: Recommendations from Research Bureau Forums and Reports 54KB
Report No. 00-5
Because a number of the City's neighborhoods are faced with deteriorating conditions and there is no comprehensive program to address these problems, the Research Bureau sponsored a series of forums on neighborhood revitalization in the Spring of 2000.
1999
Proposals for Reducing Worcester's Tax Rate 43KB
Report No. 99-6
In order to reduce Worcester's extraordinarily high tax rate, which is a hindrance to attracting and expanding commercial and industrial development, the Research Bureau urges City officials to adopt a policy of gradually reducing the commercial/industrial and residential tax rates over a period of years.
Proposals for Revitalizing Downtown Worcester 99KB
Report No. 99-1
Examines the experiences of 5 cities whose downtown areas face similar challenges with their downtowns and who have taken concrete steps to address their problems. Recommendations of specific steps to revitalize downtown Worcester.
1998
Revisiting Worcester's Zoning Ordinance 54KB
Report No. 98-6 -To address the lack of private development in Worcester, the Research Bureau has issued a series of reports on competing for economic development, brownfields development, and distressed properties. This report addresses another tool for attracting development, the zoning ordinance.
1997
Payments in Lieu of Taxes: Arguments For and Against 857KB
Overview of payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) programs, through which private, non profit organizations holding tax exempt properties make voluntary payments to the municipality in which they are located.
Distressed Property in Worcester: The Problems and the Options
Analysis of distressed-property problems that Worcester, like many older cities, faces. Issues such as abandoned buildings, neglected property and vacant lots which are having an adverse social and economic impact on a number of neighborhoods.
1996
The Role and Impact of Community Development Block Grants in Worcester
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1995
Competing for Economic Development: What can Worcester do?
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1988
Whither Worcester?: Part I, Planning the City's Future
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Whither Worcester?: Part II, Developing the City's Future
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