Worcester City Council Preview: Table Talk TIF, Black History and Potholes

The Worcester City Council meets Tuesday night, February 11.

Ahead of each City Council meeting, ThisWeekinWorcester.com [TWIW] will provide a preview to help keep readers informed of the on-goings of the city’s governing body.

Each preview will highlight items from the City Council agenda for that week that haven’t already been covered by TWIW.

This week’s agenda is packed, but we’ve tuned into a couple items that might be of interest to Worcester residents: Table Talk’s TIF, a call for an update on the Black History Trail, and an alternative way to fix potholes in the city. 

Table Talk’s TIF to Be Approved

The City Council’s economic development sub-committee will recommend the approval of  a Tax Increment Financing Plan [TIF] for Table Talk Pies new 120,000 square foot bakery in the former Crompton & Knowles Complex in the South Worcester Industrial Park [SWIP].

The new state-of-the-art and energy efficient facility is expected to open in June 2021. It will replace the company’s current and largest operation operation on Washington Street in Kelley Square which opened in 1942.

Construction is expected to start in May.

The TIF will help keep the company in Worcester and grow in the city. The total value of the location at the SWIP where Table Talk will build will increase from $1.37 million to $10 million, according to the City. 

The TIF Plan is for 20 years at an average of 60% on the increment. In other words, Table Talk will save about $4.6 million, but the City will receive about $4.3 million in taxes over the term. It’s a win-win for the City and Table Talk on land that likely otherwise wouldn’t be developed on any time soon. 

Black History Month in Worcester

City Councilor At-Large Khrystian King is requesting an update concerning the city’s Black History Trail.

The trail itself was finalized last summer, but King is asking for a timeline for the completion of the project as a whole. King wants to know when people can start walking the Trail and learning about the city’s Black History.

The Council will also adopt a resolution from King recognizing Feb. 2020 as Black History Month and to call on public officials, educators, librarians and residents to observe Black History Month with “…ceremonies, activities and programs in honor of the many achievements and contributions made by African Americans to our economic, cultural, spiritual and political development.”

Colorio Wants Potholes Handled By Machines

City Councilor At-Large Donna Colorio is requesting that City Manager Ed Augustus leave room in the DPW’s capital budget for a self-contained infrared patching machine for pothole repairs.

Colorio said the machine could help improve repairing potholes and add years to city street surfaces.

Here’s an idea of what a patching machine is:

The City Council meets at 6:30 PM in Esther Howland Chamber at City Hall. 

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