Portrait of an arts district

by Joe O'Brien

Perhaps city leaders were too ambitious. About two years have gone by since artists first got the ear of elected officials and pushed for an arts district downtown. And when Community Builders announced plans to resurrect the Burwick Building at the corner of Madison and Main streets, finally -- it seemed -- progress was underway. But late in March, the Boston-based developer pulled out, dropping plans to convert the long-vacant, five-story building into lofts and studios. Shocking news, for sure. Main South activists -- unlike those Green Street neighbors who fought vehemently against an arts district there -- had rallied in support. The Burwick, after all, was to be a cornerstone of and a gateway to planned revitalization of the Main Street stretch now plagued by vacancies and empty lots.

The Burwick's fate hasn't gone without comment. Perpetual cynics maintain the arts district is just another example of city leaders' inability to embrace change or, better, to exact it. The district's setback is especially annoying, they say, considering so many cities have created similar districts already. Even the hopeful wonder what is to come of any plan to create an affordable area in Worcester for artists to work and live.

We've put together a scorecard of the players involved since an arts district was initially proposed.

The Issue		The Spin		The Reality
Mayor Ray Mariano		B+ No question, Mariano was bloodied by the first attempt to locate an arts district downtown. Artists who were already established at the Heywood building successfully convinced Mariano to get behind a proposal to have Green Island re-zoned as an arts-overlay district: a logical location, they argued, as many buildings could easily be converted to house both studio and living space. But certain neighbors, specifically business owners, fought him every step of the way in early 1999. So Mariano shrewdly did an about-face. He quickly lined up community leaders and artists to support a new location: Main Street from Madison to Hammond. He then drove zoning changes through the council late last summer, paving the way for an arts district to evolve. More recently, as the project's faltered, he's avoided being hit by the barrage of negative press brought on by Community Builders' departure.		C Mayor Ray deserves credit for rallying artists, the community, and the city council to get the ball rolling in Main South. But those close to the project say he's disappeared now that it's time to hash out the details. And that's a shame, because it was Mariano who held the public hearings and press conferences; and it was he who established himself as the politician who'd make the arts district a reality. Mariano counters that he has delivered. He's the one who made the zoning legislation happen. Now, he says, it's up to City Manager Tom Hoover and Chief Development Officer Everett Shaw to plan and to secure the project's financing. Mariano's buck-passing gets a mixed grade here because this project needs strong leadership. A citizens task force, which Mariano put together to assess the potential of an arts district in Main South, should be re-established so residents can oversee the ongoing process in their neighborhood. This would be the most effective way to ensure consistent, streamlined leadership. Mariano should seriously reconsider his decision to disband the group.
Worcester Business Development Council (WBDC)		B+ Many a folk are waiting to see what the WBDC, headed by former city development officer David Forsberg, can do to transform Main Street. And the agency scored big points when it gave seed money to Community Builders to draft plans for the Burwick Building's conversion. The fact that Forsberg, long a respected leader, was involved gave artists and activists hope that this project could happen.		B- The WBDC is, in fact, sitting on a pile of cash (about $5 million) since it sold out its share of a local biotechnology park; and once Forsberg signed on in 1999 he established a stellar team of developers to jump-start the downtown economy. But, WBDC officials say, the organization never planned to take a leading role in the district's development. With the proposed baseball stadium -- slated to be built on Shrewsbury or on Prescott streets -- don't count on Forsberg and friends to show up on Main Street with bags of cash. But if it's not the arts district, when -- residents wonder -- will the WBDC do something downtown?
ARTSWorcester		A The activist organization gets high marks for its dogged determination to find a home for the Worcester arts community. The group, once led by Eva Robbins and now by Ruth Penka, is praised for bringing together a diverse group of artists and community leaders to support the current location -- particularly since many artists felt burned by the Green Island plans. The group, which also runs two galleries in town, recently moved its offices (and one of the galleries) to the Aurora Hotel, across from the Burwick Building. The move into the wouldbe district is widely lauded by supporters and by the local media.		A+ ARTSWorcester stands out as the real hero here. With little funding, and for a time without an executive director, the organization has managed to keep the project afloat. It deserves high marks for recognizing city government can't be counted on to complete an arts district. Instead, the group's started to work with the Worcester Cultural Coalition, made up of local arts institutions, to raise money. (So far, the group's raised $75,000 and plans to hire a full-time development specialist.) Praise to ARTSWorcester.
McDonalds		D This corporate Goliath was badly bruised after local activists and preservation leaders got word it wanted to tear down the Burwick to build a gas-station-slash-takeout franchise. Accidentally, the fast-food company brought the Burwick's fate to our attention, and thus launched talk of what would become of the area, directly leading to the arts-district plans. Thanks, McDonalds!?		D-Community Builders had first dibs (known as an option to buy) on redeveloping the Burwick site. That option, though, has expired. And talk around town suggests McDonalds may be back in the picture, which is too bad. McDonalds was willing to pay a reported $1 million for the site: a price so high that it could have doomed the arts district from the beginning. As a result, current owners may be looking for a higher price tag than what the market dictates. With city officials taking a molasses-speed approach to saving the building, don't be surprised to see the Golden Arches soon.
Main South community leaders		A Main South is celebrated for welcoming artists into its fold. Not surprisingly, key activists there now feel like brides left at the altar.		B+ Don't underestimate community leaders like Barbara Haller and businessman Eddie Santiago -- to name a few. Main South has been chronically neglected by the city's political establishment, but these activists have worked to rebuild it. Though the Burwick might be out, they may have a few tricks up their sleeves. Word has it that Santiago, owner of several local markets, has his eye on the Mart, an abandoned building across from the Burwick and next to the long-vacant Odd Fellows building. Should he purchase the site (perhaps with help from the city), the Odd Fellows could -- potentially -- be the next location for lofts, studios, and performance space. Then there's Frank Zitomersky, a local developer who's already drafted plans to renovate the vacant Jackson apartment building on Main Street. That building could also serve as affordable loft and studio space. But, Zitomersky says, no bank will help finance such a project until the city makes infrastructure improvements and proves that the neighborhood is primed for redevelopment.
The Community Builders Inc.		D In June, when Community Builders announced it had received an option to develop the Burwick Building, the agency was hailed as neighborhood saviors. With the collapse of the deal, it's hard not to point fingers at the company. Community Builders, though, saved face somewhat recently by appointing a staff person, John Jewel, to work in the district. The company has also received quiet praise for giving ARTSWorcester a good rental deal for the Aurora, which it's owned since 1986.		D Certain city leaders have characterized Community Builders as outsiders, only interested in generating big fees from the Burwick project. Others say, however, the company did negotiate in good faith with the buildings' owners. But talks fell apart, and no one's satisfied by the explanation. Community Builders cites broken water pipes and the unanticipated costs in renovations (a complete overhaul was estimated to cost $5 million) are the factors in the decision to abandon the project. But most folks wonder why the company didn't do more homework before getting the community excited.
Burwick Building owners		C The Madison Main Realty Trust, which owns the building, has been characterized as both a villain and a hero, depending on whom you talk to. Press reports imply this group is the primary reason the project died. Others hail the decision to forgo, for now, a McDonalds sale.		B Local attorney Wendy Jane Rickles, who represents the property owners (who still have the building on the market), says Burwick's owners have been unfairly painted as deal killers. She maintains the building's price throughout the negotiations never changed.
Main South CDC		B This successful, local CDC was shut out of initial, arts-district development plans. Since then, the organization has been praised for its progress on a huge, mixed-use commercial and housing project at the edge of the district in the Kilby and Tainter street area. Unlike Community Builders, this CDC has captured political and institutional support and raised more than $7 million to begin the project.		A If the arts community is looking for a model on how to get things done, it should look to the Main South CDC. This group's proved big projects can be accomplished in the Main South, even when city officials' mammoth egos get in the way.
Local artists		B Last fall, more than 60 artists went to initial meetings with Community Builders, expressing interest in moving into the building. In fact, 12 artists had already paid money to secure a loft or a studio (those artists didn't even know the project was doomed until their checks were unceremoniously returned). Artists are credited with having faith in the project.		B Though ARTSWorcester has mobilized arts leaders to support the district, other artists have said from the start they weren't interested in a Main Street-based district. What is clear about the past few months is that artists' expectations weren't realistic. These types of projects require a careful mix of government intervention, public action, and private capital. Many of them also admit they expected city and political leaders to deliver, which shows they have much to learn about local politics.