COMMERCE AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2006

COUNCIL CHAMBER

Convened: 6:04 p.m.

Adjourned: 7:32 p.m.

 

Present were:      Chairperson Councilor Michael C. Perotto

                             Councilor Joffrey A. Smith

                             Councilor Philip P. Palmieri

 

Also:                     Director of Development Timothy McGourthy

                             Director of Housing Scott Hayman

                             Director of Neighborhood Development Dennis Hennessy

                             DPWP Project Manager Stephen O’Neil

                             City Clerk David J. Rushford, clerk

 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

 

1.       Communication of the City Manager Relative to the 2004 Greater Worcester Area Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Committee Annual Report.

          #8B CM October 12, 2004

          In Committee February 16, 2005 - Held

          In Committee October 16, 2006 – Held

Recommend File

 

2.       Communication of the City Manager Relative to the status of the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the North Main Street Economic Development Strategy Area.

          #8A CM April 25, 2006

          In Committee May 15, 2006 - Held

          In Committee October 16, 2006 – Held

Recommend File

 

3.       Communication of the City Manager transmitting informational Communication Relative to a Financing Update on the Hadley Residential Project on Main/Madison Street.

          #9A CM July 18, 2006

          In Committee October 16, 2006 – Held

Recommend File

Chairman’s Order request the City Manager report to the City Council in 60 days concerning the status of funding of and at the site of the Hadley building.

 

4.       Communication of the City Manager Relative to Regional Competitiveness Council Report.

          #8B CM February 10, 2004

          In Committee February 16, 2005 - Held

          In Committee October 16, 2006 – Held

Recommend File

 

5.       Communication of Roberta Schaefer, Executive Director, Worcester Regional Research Bureau transmitting Benchmarking Economic Development in Worcester:  2002.

#20 CC November 19, 2002

In Committee January 25, 2006 - Held

In Committee October 16, 2006 – Held (Invite Dr. Shaefer to the next Committee meeting)

Recommend File

 

6.       Communication of Roberta Schaefer, Executive Director, Worcester Regional Research Bureau transmitting Benchmarking Economic Development in Worcester:  2003.

          #78 CC November 18, 2003

          In Committee January 25, 2006 – Held

          In Committee October 16, 2006 – Held

Recommend File

 

7.       Communication of Roberta Schaefer, Executive Director, Worcester Regional Research Bureau transmitting Benchmarking Economic Development in Worcester:  2005.

          #46 CC November 22, 2005

          In Committee October 16, 2006 – Held

Recommend File

 

8.       Communication of Roberta Schaefer, Executive Director, Worcester Regional Research Bureau Transmitting communication relative to Destination Worcester: What’s the “Convention-al Wisdom?”

          #54 CC March 28, 2006

          In Committee October 16, 2006 – Held

Recommend Hold

 

9.       Communication of Michael G. Goodman, Director of Economic and Public Policy Research at the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute on the subject of “The Future of the Massachusetts Economy and What it Means for the Central Region.”

#34A CM February 28, 2006

Recommend File

 

ARTS DISTRICT

 

10.     Communication of the City Manager relative to an overview of the Arts District Partnership work to date.

          #8B CM March 22, 2005

Recommend File

 

Chairman’s Order request the City Manager report to the City Council how many artists are estimate to be living within the City of Worcester as part of the artist study being conducted by the Main South CDC.

 

CERTIFIED PROJECT APPLICATIONS

 

11.             Communication of the City Manager transmitting informational Communication relative to the submittal of a Certified Project Application of EJR Realty Trust, Harr Motor Company, Inc. and Harr Toyota, Inc. and the Site Location of 33 Millbrook Street and 100, 110 and 112 Gold Star Boulevard.

#8B CM October 31, 2006

Recommend Approval

 

Chairman’s Order request the City Manager provide the City Council with a compliance report relative to the existing Tax Increment Financing projects.

 

FINANCE

 

12.     Communication of the City Manager relative to the audited financial statement of the Worcester Redevelopment Authority FY’03 and FY’04.

          #8B CM November 30, 2004

Recommend File

 

13.     Communication of James DelSignore, City Auditor transmitting Worcester’s Centrum Centre Fund – the Arena Component and the Convention Center Component including financial statements with supplemental schedules for the years ended June 30, 2004 and 2003 plus the independent auditor’s report.  Also included is the Auditor’s Report on the internal control structure over financial reporting for each entity.

          #42 CC December 7, 2004

          In Committee January 25, 2006 – Held

Recommend File

 

DCU CENTER/CONVENTION CENTER & VISITORS BUREAU

 

14.     Communication of the City Manager relative to the newly named DCU Center’s ranking.

          #8F CM January 11, 2005

          In Committee February 16, 2005 – Held

Recommend File

 

15.     Communication of the City Manager relative to Worcester County Convention and Visitors Bureau report for the second quarter of 2005.

          #8A CM January 25, 2005

          In Committee February 16, 2005 – Held

Recommend File

 

16.     Communication of the City Manager relative to the Worcester County Convention and Visitors Bureau report for the third quarter of 2005.

          #29A CM May 31, 2005

Recommend File

 

17.     Communication of the City Manager relative to a copy of the Worcester County Convention and Visitors Bureau report for the second quarter of 2006.

          #34B CM January 17, 2006

Recommend File

 

UNION STATION

 

18.     Communication of the City Manager relative to the Union Station Parking Garage-Construction Manager at risk services.

          #12D CM September 12, 2006

Recommend File

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

19.     Communication of the City Manager Relative to City-Owned Brownfield Sites.

          #8C CM February 11, 2003

          In Committee June 30, 2004 – Held

          In Committee February 16, 2005 – Held

Recommend File

 

20.     Communication of the City Manager Relative to Continuation of the Brownfield Intern Mapping Initiative.

          #25A CM July 6, 2004

          In Committee February 16, 2005 – Held

Recommend File

 

21.     Communication of the City Manager Relative to Phase III of the City’s Brownfield Intern Mapping Initiative.

#25A CM September 21, 2004

In Committee February 16, 2005 – Held

Recommend File

 

22.     Communication of the City Manager Relative to where hotels subscribe regularly for travel options in Worcester, and which hotels are tied into the National Reservation System.

          #8G CM May 20, 2003

          In Committee June 30, 2004 – Held

Recommend File

 

23.     Communication of the City Manager Relative to the Worcester Regulations and Licensing Guide for Start-Up Businesses.

          #6C CM January 13, 2004

          In Committee February 16, 2005 – Held

Recommend File

 

24.     Communication of the City Manager Relative to the redevelopment of Washington Square.

#8C CM April 4, 2006

In Committee May 15, 2006 - In Committee for Informational Purposes

          In Committee October 16, 2006 – Held

Recommend File

 

25.     Communication of the City Manager Informational Communication regarding the announcement that the Economic Development Division, the Planning and Regulatory Services Division, and the Neighborhoods and Housing Development Division will be moving to 44 Front Street effective October 30th.

          #8C CM October 31, 2006

Recommend File

 

Chairman’s Order request the City Manager consider assigning a Code Department staffperson within the city-leased offices at 44 Front Street as an additional means to assist developers who seek to navigate the City’s permitting process and work towards on-stop permitting.

 

26.     Communication of the City Manager Informational Communication regarding the CitySquare General Development Agreement.

          #8A CM October 31, 2006

Recommend File

 

27.     Communication of Mayor Timothy P. Murray transmitting communication relative to Worcester Brownfields: A Synopsis of Selected Sites. Presented at the Turning Brownfields to Gold: II, A Brownfields Workshop held at WPI on June 14, 2006.

          #50 CC June 20, 2006

          In Committee October 16, 2006 – Held

Recommend File

 

28.     Communication of Roberta Schaefer, Executive Director, Worcester Regional Research Bureau transmitting Communication relative to Downtown Worcester Office Occupancy: 2006 Survey.

          #44 CC September 26, 2006

          In Committee October 16, 2006 – Held

Recommend Hold

 

29.     Communication of Roberta Schaefer, Executive Director, Worcester Regional Research Bureau transmitting Downtown Worcester Office Occupancy: 2003 Survey.

          #85 CC September 9, 2003

Recommend File