Worcester To Open 'Municipal Service Center' On Main St.

WORCESTER, MA — A little piece of Worcester City Hall will soon be available outside of downtown. City officials plan to open a "municipal service center" along Main Street for business like paying taxes, applying for permits, or getting graffiti cleaned up.

The city hopes to open the mini city hall at 801 Main St. — about a mile southwest of the original City Hall — by the end of February. City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. chose the location after talking with local business owners and neighbors.

The office will be staffed with a full-time clerk, plus a part-time economic development clerk, and a full-time U.S. Census employee. Worcester police will also use offices in the space.

Residents will be able to use the service center to register to vote, get a dog license, register a business, and a lot more. The city will also allow local groups to use the space for meetings and events.

"Staff within the MSC will be able to address many neighborhood concerns, including intake of quality of life complaints related to overgrowth, trash, potholes, code violations, graffiti, and more. We will offer procurement information sessions, flu clinics, quality of life team assistance, police services, consumer aid, veteran’s services, fire prevention, and first-time homebuyer resources," Augustus wrote in a memo to City Council about the MSC.

The city plans to keep the center open weekdays between noon and 7 p.m.