May 22 drew crowds of government officials, area executives,
project professionals, and the press with the groundbreaking for
Worcester's new Kelley Square Market. The launch of this
project bolsters the excitement of the Canal District – new
apartments and a public market, a return to the mixed use
development that built thriving cities. The building will be, in
some ways, the antithesis of the Galleria/Worcester Common Fashion
Outlets, portions of which were recently demolished.
Remember when the Fashion Outlets opened? Enthusiasm over the
very chic shopping downtown was overshadowed by the horror of
paying to park, despite the low cost. When news first spread about
the Kelley Square Market project a year or two ago, most initial
reactions to the developer, Allen Fletcher, were "...but what
about the parking?" Many worried that taking away the (muddy,
rutted or flooded) parking for the Crompton building next door
would cause declining business for the tenants there,
