Photo by Caio César Gutierres

About

Our Mission

The Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District (BID) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization representing the owners of more than 100 properties within approximately 78 acres of Downtown Worcester, Massachusetts. The result of a comprehensive and ongoing community effort, the BID seeks to establish a vibrant, welcoming, and economically and culturally viable Downtown Worcester for all stakeholders. Through collaboration with local businesses and organizations, the BID actively promotes Downtown Worcester and all it has to offer, creating new experiences and fostering an exciting place for people to live, work, and visit.

Watch the video below to see some of the highlights from the BID’s work and accomplishments during our first years of operation! You can also read more about our latest efforts in our 2023 Annual Report.

Our Boundaries

A Business Improvement District is a legally established, contiguous geographic area within which property owners initiate, manage, and finance supplemental services for the benefit of everyone who lives, works, or visits the District. Established in 2018, the Downtown Worcester BID is located in the heart of Downtown Worcester. The BID is bounded by Main Street, Myrtle Street, Francis J. McGrath Boulevard, and Foster Street.

A graphic depiction of the boundaries that the Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District serves.

The above map shows the geographical Downtown Worcester BID area. If you are not sure if your business is located within the BID boundaries, please contact us.

Our Initiatives

A man painting a lively and colorful mural onto a storefront window. A plethora of paints waiting on the sidewalk for him to use.

Cultural Placemaking
& Beautification

In partnership with city officials, cultural organizations, horticulturists, and local artists, the Downtown Worcester BID uses a multifaceted approach to create a more vibrant Downtown. Placemaking efforts provide dynamic programming, while promoting local collaboration and spotlighting development opportunities in the Downtown area.

Downtown Worcester Placemaking Plan

Photo: Matt Wright

Cleaning, Safety & Hospitality

The Downtown Worcester BID serves the community by creating a safe, clean, and welcoming destination that is attractive to businesses, employees, residents, and visitors alike. The BID Ambassadors are a highly visible and friendly presence in Downtown Worcester, supporting the various needs of the community, while also making the streetscapes, storefronts, and pedestrian alleyways clean and safe for all.

A group of four people sitting at a table on the Worcester common holding up their beverages in a "cheers" formation. Other tables with patrons surrounding them.

Marketing & Public Relations

Downtown Worcester has experienced a significant revitalization within the past twenty years. With this renewed sense of excitement, the Downtown Worcester BID wants to encourage those within Worcester as well as those visiting from outside the city to experience all the great things Downtown has to offer. The BID works to promote the Downtown, increase pedestrian traffic, bolster retail sales, promote opportunity, and enhance perceptions of Downtown.

DowntownWorcesterBID_WorcesterCityHall

Advocacy & Policy

The Downtown Worcester BID represents the entire Downtown community, from the small business owner to the larger corporate entity, from the residents of the Downtown to our community leaders. We all work together to create the neighborhood we love and live in to continually grow and succeed. The BID’s mission is to advocate for District stakeholders and provide administrative management to support development goals of Downtown Worcester.

Our Programs

Ambassador Program

Two Downtown Worcester cleaning crew members walk down Franklin Street with some of their tools of the trade for cleaning streets and sidewalks

The Downtown Worcester BID’s Ambassador Program is the cornerstone of our operations. Providing a wide range of supplemental services to the Downtown community, the Ambassadors ensure that the District is clean, safe, and inviting for all. The services our Ambassadors provide include:

The Ambassadors’ work not only improves the appearance and walkability of the Downtown neighborhood, but also helps small businesses, working professionals, and visitors alike. Whether cleaning the sidewalks or giving directions to visitors, the Ambassadors provide a valuable and friendly first impression of Downtown Worcester. To request supplemental services within the Downtown Worcester BID boundary area, please call the Ambassador Service Request Line at 508-736-1154.

A brightly colored, polka-dotted mural, featuring a furry blue character, in the process of being painted. The muralist paints from a large cherry picker machine.

Area Amplification

Amplifying all the wonderful things Downtown Worcester has to offer is just another way the Downtown Worcester BID serves the community. Through its social media presence, the BID attracts visitors to Downtown while communicating with the greater community on new and exciting events in the neighborhood. The website, blogs, and monthly newsletter keep the larger community up to date on the latest developments while promoting local innovation and entrepreneurship. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

A man wearing a blue jacket and tie, holding up a menu from the hostess stand. Two employees stand behind him, grinning.

Photo by Joe Santa Maria

Event Support

Whether you’re planning the next big event or a simple neighborhood soirée, the BID is here to help!  The BID is pleased to offer access to the Downtown Worcester Event Kit, which includes amenities such as a pop-up tents, stanchions, portable coolers, attendance counters, and more — all of which are free to use if your event is taking place within our district. To learn more about having the Ambassadors at an event or using any of the available items in our kit, please check out our Downtown Worcester BID Event Kit Guide and fill out our required request form.

Photo: Matt Wright

Flower Program

The Downtown Worcester BID installs and maintains hanging flower baskets along the main thoroughfares of the District and sidewalk planters throughout our neighborhood. Bringing vibrancy and beautification to Downtown, the BID’s flower program promises to bring a bit of sunshine to each day.

Photo: Matt Wright

Snow Operations

The BID’s Ambassador team is equipped to clear snow and ice from public curb-cuts and crosswalks. After clearing public spaces, the Ambassadors will assist property and business owners in snow/ice clearing from storefronts within the District. The BID also has contracted with a private vendor to help remove snow piles from along the curbline and on-street public parking spaces.

Photo: Matt Wright

Storefront Activation

The Downtown Worcester BID’s goal with the storefront activation program is to enliven Downtown through eye-catching storefront art and window displays. These displays focus on spaces that are not providing existing street-level activity and/or are waiting to be leased. While storefront spaces remain underutilized, the BID aims to work with property owners while simultaneously supporting local artists with an opportunity to display their works.

A nighttime scene of the Worcester Common. Tall, glass buildings are in the background. Trees with holiday lights and a round skating rink also seen.
Photo by Joe Santa Maria

Winter Lighting Program

The Downtown Worcester BID partners with local property owners and artists to curate visual experiences around the holidays. Each year, the BID identifies different needs within the District and partners with local organizations and artists to bring new pieces to engage the local community and bring more people to Downtown Worcester.

Jobs/Volunteer

Are you interested in making a difference in your community? Would you like to help make Downtown Worcester a prosperous and attractive area for all? If you’re interested in working or volunteering with the Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District, check out our available opportunities below and email us at info@downtownworcester.org to learn more.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District (BID) is currently seeking a new Executive Director to lead the BID into the next, exciting phase. The BID has engaged Community Paradigm Associates to guide this comprehensive search. More information about the search process and Executive Director position can be found at: tinyurl.com/DWBIDExecutiveDirectorSearch.

Those interested are encouraged to apply by Monday, October 28, 2024, at 3pm ET. 

For questions, please email Julie Jacobson, Senior Associate at Community Paradigm Associates, at: JJacobson@communityparadigm.com. 

AMBASSADOR PROGRAM STAFF

The Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District contracts with Streetplus to manage our Ambassador Program. Streetplus hires throughout the year and posts all open positions on Indeed.com.

Staff/Board

Portrait of Executive Director, Evelyn Darling

Evelyn Darling

Executive Director

Lisa Malo, Marketing and Communications Manager for the Downtown Worcester BID

Lisa Malo

Marketing Director

Victoria Mariano, Program Director of the Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District

Victoria Mariano

Program Director

DowntownWorcester_ProgramCoordinatorAlexMonaco_Headshort

Alex Monaco

Program Coordinator

Board of Directors

Downtown Worcester BID 2024 Board of Directors

Julian Wade

Chair

Davis Publications / The Printers Building Trust

Julie Holstrom

Vice Chair

Worcester Business Development Corporation

Troy Siebels

Treasurer

The Hanover Theatre & Conservatory for the Performing Arts

Charles “Chip” Norton Jr.

Clerk

Franklin Realty Advisors / Mercantile Center

Evelyn Cabrera

YWCA Central Massachusetts

Sean Harris

Quinsigamond Community College

Kate McEvoy

Synergy Investments

Paul Morano

City of Worcester

Seth Pitts

Bay State Savings Bank

Mary Simone

AC Hotel Worcester

Joffrey Smith

Joffrey Smith Financial Group / Concordia Exchange

Margaret Wong

Massachusetts Community College Council

Blog

  • Meet the Artist: Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez

    Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez is an international street artist whose colorful works blend the worlds of street and pop culture with Mexican and indigenous influences. The artist has coined his signature style “Neo Indigenous.” Marka27 honed his skills and developed his trademark style long before “street art” was a term. Marka27 partners with major brands and downtown districts to create paintings, murals, drawings, mixed-media pieces, and more.  Read our latest blog to learn more about how Marka27 has contributed to Downtown Worcester’s art scene.

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  • Take a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Worcester BLM Mural and One of the Artists Behind It

    Within the past year, murals started to appear throughout the country, in a sign of solidarity for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. As a community committed to social justice and human rights, a group of over 500 volunteers helped to create a street mural along Worcester’s Major Taylor Boulevard. This all-inclusive street mural, completed by 18 local artists with the support of the City administration and other local organizations, is reflective of the great work that happens when a community comes together for a common cause. Read our latest blog to learn more.

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  • Meet the Artist: Caleb Neelon

    Caleb Neelon’s Massachusetts roots have spread to the Worcester street art scene and helped blossom a new enclave of creativity in the community. In 2014, Caleb’s 4-story mural on Worcester’s Denholm building was the city’s first step in embracing public art, paving the way for the artists and works that would come after. Due, in part, to skilled muralists such as Neelon, Worcester’s walls have become a rich canvas, welcoming artists from around the world to experience Worcester. Read our latest blog to learn more.

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