Politics & Government
Worcester Takes Key Step Toward Purchase Of Denholm Building
A key city agency now has the nearly $7 million on hand to purchase and demolish the Main Street building.
WORCESTER, MA — A Worcester agency charged with urban renewal projects took another step toward acquiring the Denholm building late last week.
The Worcester Redevelopment Authority on Friday agreed to accept a $6.8 million loan from the city that will pay for the purchase of the Denholm building, its possible demolition and for other costs associated with the acquisition.
Part of those costs include relocating Denholm tenants. The building is organized as condominium, with businesses owning individual office spaces inside the building and paying fees for upkeep. Some tenants, including the Worcester Community Action Council, were displaced earlier this year when a power transformer inside the building failed.
The WRA has been exploring the acquisition since last summer. The building may need millions in repairs to keep it operating, which is why officials believe its demolition is the most likely path forward.
The former Denholm department store opened its building at 484 Main St. in 1884. The company replaced the facade of the store in the 1950s with the sleek concrete still seen today.
The actual move to acquire the building with a purchase and sale agreement could come at the WRA's next meeting, Worcester Chief Development Officer Peter Dunn said on Friday.
