A 98-acre proposal on Worcester’s east side
Worcester’s 2017 bid for Amazon HQ2 offered a 98-acre site assembled from parcels described as 53.9, 22.2 and 21.9 acres. Two parcels were along the commuter-rail corridor, with Route 20 dividing portions of the proposed area.
The article also discussed potential sites in nearby Auburn. They were alternatives within a regional bid discussion, not a single completed campus or land offered through this article.
Incentives were contingent on the project
The proposal described as much as $500 million in local property-tax savings over 20 years and an exemption from personal-property taxes. It also discussed a $1 million HUD Section 108 loan tied to a stated job-creation condition involving low-income residents.
These were proposed incentives, not benefits available to any buyer or employer. The amounts depended on the contemplated Amazon project, approvals and conditions; the article did not establish their eventual adoption or use.
Worcester in the wider HQ2 competition
Amazon’s search emphasized workforce, transit and airport access as well as development capacity. Worcester promoted its colleges, emerging businesses and comparatively lower costs, while acknowledging the distinction between its airport and Boston’s Logan Airport.
The archive compared Worcester with contenders including Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Austin. It recorded a competition still underway in 2017 rather than a selected headquarters, a guaranteed number of jobs or a present-day development opportunity.
Historical attribution: Original Boston City Properties article, October 2017. Reported claims and attributed assessments have not been independently refreshed.
