Worcester Making Strides Towards Redevelopment And Building Polar Park
WORCESTER (CBS) -- A big bang in Worcester marked a new milestone on the way to Polar Park and the revitalization of an important area of the city. Workers have begun demolishing the last building standing on the property that will become the new home of the Woo Sox, and right next door, a longtime Worcester institution is moving to a new home, clearing the way for more development in Kelley Square.
A wrecking ball painted to look like a baseball slammed into the fifth and final building to be demolished on the site.
"It stands in the way of a home run to right field," said Charles Steinberg, president of the Worcester Red Sox.
It's also on the spot where the park's monster wall will rise.
"It'll be the Worcester Blue Monster, a mini-monster," Steinberg said.
The park is also paving the way for more development in Worcester's Kelley Square.
Next door to the construction site, an iconic Worcester business, Table Talk Pies, announced Friday that it's leaving the area and the building they've been in since 1943.
"We're going to be moving this facility to a new home over at the Main South neighborhood here in Worcester," said Harry Kokkinis, the president of the company.
The new, state of the art pie factory will allow the company to dramatically improve its batting average of producing 3,000 pies per hour.
"We hope to increase that to almost 4,000 pies an hour," Kokkinis said.
The old pie-making site is ripe for redevelopment, joining the area's growth that's spurred on by Polar Park.
"It is a catalyst for redevelopment that effects the civic self esteem of a city, and it can do so for generations," Steinberg said.
A recent report shows the new ballpark will cost about $30 million more than initial estimates, but the Sox are picking up nearly $10 million of that cost. The city says new tax revenues from increase development will cover the rest.
