WESTBOROUGH MASSACHUSETTS A BUSINESS & COMMUNITY GUIDE DEMOGRAPHICS (source: *MA Dept of Labor; TOWN OF WESTBOROUGH ** 2000 Census) MASSACHUSETTS • Incorporated as a town: 1717 • Population: 18,732 (2005*) reetings from the Town of Westborough, • Land area: 20.52 sq. miles GMassachusetts. It is my pleasure to welcome you • Population Density: 912 (2005*) to our vibrant New England Town. Westborough is • Labor Force: 9,085* (in March 2009) a historic community established in 1717 as the One- • Unemployment Rate: 4.1%* (avg. in 2008) Hundredth Town in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. • Government: Open Town Meeting – Board of Selectmen - Town Manager Historically, we were a farming community with a vibrant • Median age: 36.9** manufacturing presence in the center of our downtown producing straw hats and Sibley sleighs. Our industrial TOWN HALL expansion gave the town a larger and more diverse 34 West Main Street, population. The most dramatic expansion came with the Westborough, MA 01581 development of the Massachusetts Turnpike and Interstate www.town.westborough.ma.us 495 which combined with Route 9 passing through town (508) 366-3030 placed Westborough at the crossroads of Massachusetts and the heart of New England. By 1975, land prices and easy access made our town an attractive location for such major companies LOCATION as Digital, Mass Electric, Cumberland Farms, Astra Pharmaceutical, Harvey Industries, and Westborough is located in east central EMC to name just a few. Massachusetts less than 30 miles from Boston, 45 miles from Providence, 50 miles from Manchester, NH, and 180 miles from New York City—truly, at Westborough offers a variety of housing styles with an average home sale value at approximately the "heart of New England." The region is well 400K. Our local school system is ranked in the top ten in the state. Together with our connected by rail and highway to the ports, air- advantageous location and quick access to Boston, less than 30 miles; Providence, 45 miles; and, ports, and intermodal facilities of Boston and Provi- New York, 180 miles, Westborough has become a desirable location in New England. dence. Three major cross-state highways intersect in Westborough: the Worcester Turnpike (Route 9), Our single tax rate for both business and residential properties has helped to make Westborough the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) and I-495. In the fifth largest commercial base in Massachusetts. Eighty percent of the town is served by addition, nearby I-190 links to the Fitchburg- public water and sewer. Our industrial parks feature first class office space and industrial land Leominster area, and I-84 and I-395 connect to zoned with access to commercial rail. In 2005, Money Magazine ranked Westborough as the Connecticut and points south. thirty-fifth best community in the nation! MODES OF TRANSPORTATION Rail: Conrail offers freight service to Westborough If you are serious about starting a business or relocating an existing business, then you owe it to and operates an auto transloading facility in the your business and your employees to consider Westborough. Westborough is a great place to town (617) 783-6222. The Massachusetts Bay live, work and play! Transportation Authority (MBTA) has a commuter rail station in Westborough at Smith Parkway & Fisher Street with daily service west to Worcester James Malloy and east to Boston on the Framingham/Worcester Westborough Town Manager Line. www.mbta.com Bus: Westborough is a member of the Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA), which provides services for the elderly and disabled. www.therta.com Peter Pan Bus Lines provides service between Worcester and Boston (including Logan Airport) www.peterpanbus.com Other: The nearby Worcester Municipal Airport, a Primary Commercial Service (PR) facility, offers 2 asphalt runways over 5,000 feet. Bay State Commons www.ci.worcester.ma.us/air This publication is Published & Distributed by: All design and text is provided by Global Design & Publishing, LLC in collaboration with The Town of Westborough, Massachusetts. All text and images have been carefully compiled for this publication. GDP However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of the content. Photography by: Jim Tourtellotte GLOBAL DESIGN & PUBLISHING LLC (additional photos provided by Global Design & Publishing, LLC). Copyright ©2009, 860-963-0414 • [email protected] Global Design & Publishing, LLC. Any reproduction without our written permission is prohibited. www.gdpublishing.com WESTBOROUGH MASSACHUSETTS 3 BUSINESS & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Westborough offers a number of competitive advantages for businesses. First is undoubtedly the town's location, in the heart of southern New England's network of well-educated population centers with excellent highway and rail access and only 30 miles from Boston. Another large benefit is the town's single tax rate. Businesses do not pay a higher rate than residential properties. This offers a significant savings in the cost of doing business in West- borough. Westborough has the fifth largest commercial base percentage in Massachu- setts. In addition, 80% of the town is served by public water and sewer, plus commercial rail access is available for property in indus- trial parks and industrial zoned areas. ith a location at the crossroads of several major transportation networks in the fast-growing region known as Corridor Nine, Join successful businesses already in Westborough is an ideal location for business headquarters. Over the Westborough: W Astra Zeneca, Bay State Commons, years, Westborough has been home to manufacturing of items ranging from sleighs, Cumberland Farms, DanaFilms, straw hats, and boots to today’s computer and telecommunications equipment. The E.L. Harvey, eClinical, EMC, community has attracted high technology manufacturing and corporate headquar- Fallon Clinic, Genzyme, Marriott, ters as well as a wide mix of other commercial enterprises. Westborough has also National Grid, University of Pheonix, emerged as an important regional Whittier Rehabilitation center for office development, with 35 percent of its employment DOWNTOWN PLANNING devoted to the service sector. The OVERLAY DISTRICT positive community climate welcomes Located in the center of Westborough this business growth on the one hand, 56-acre site (formally the site of Baystate Abrasives Industrial Complex) contains while encouraging use of open space the new Baystate Commons and the old and attractive residential developments Westborough historic train station, now the for an appealing setting in which to live office of Waterman Design, a local design and work. and engineering firm. Baystate Commons is host to upscale retail stores & restaurants such as Roche Brothers supermarket, Panera Westborough’s population of about 18,000 residents enjoys fine schools, extensive Bread, Stein Mart, Boston Sports Club, TD public services for all ages, and active recreation programs on its lakes, woodlands, Banknorth, Ted’s Montana Grille and more. and playing fields. The town’s commuter rail station provides easy access to Boston In addition, there are 44 luxury condo- miniums in a building called Parkview on the and Worcester. The community is known as a good place to live, with high levels of Commons. Baystate Commons has space community participation and pride in the town’s colonial history. available for retailers looking for an upscale location near Boston. For more information contact: Gregg Saunders, Director of Leasing, (917) 833-5915. LOCAL BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS Corridor Nine Area Chamber of Commerce Corridor Nine's core towns of Westborough, Northborough, Southborough, Shrewsbury, and Grafton are known for their great geographic accessibility and superb schools, 4 WESTBOROUGH MASSACHUSETTS Mill Pond which have contributed to the development COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES of an exceptional quality of life. The Corridor • Located in the heart of Nine Chamber formed from consolidation Massachusetts. Easy access to the of various local business organizations as regional economy Central Massachusetts (the Route 9 corridor) • Single tax rate for both business underwent substantial growth during the late and residential properties 1990s. In January 2003, Corridor Nine of- • Fifth largest commercial base ficially became incorporated. The Chamber University of Phoenix percentage in Massachusetts provides networking (more than 24 events • 80% of the town is served by held a year), marketing and promotion, and BUSINESS RESOURCES public water and sewer referral opportunities, plus discounts, business Massachusetts Office of Business • Industrial parks and industrial & development assistance, resources and Development (MOBD) assists compa- zoned land with access to advocacy plus many other benefits to its nies who want to locate, expand, grow, commercial rail members. www.corridornine.org or maintain a presence in Massachusetts. Through nine offices and five industry spe- MONEY MAGAZINE Central Massachusetts cialists, MOBD works with companies and Convention & Visitor's Bureau municipalities to help them take advantage ranks Westborough as the The Central Massachusetts Convention and of available economic incentive programs. thirty-fifth best Visitors Bureau is responsible for promot- MOBD also assists companies in navigating community in the nation ing the Central Massachusetts region as a and accessing the technical, human, finan- convention and meeting site and a tourist cial, training, educational and site-finding destination. It is the primary local source