For decades, automobile salvage yards, the city’s sewer treatment plant, landfills and a garbage incinerator called Quinsigamond Village home.  It was a dumping ground of sorts with noxious noise and odors emanating from the area’s operations.

All that is about to change.  Efforts have already been underway to revitalize the community, and neighborhood residents have played a big part in the area’s transformation.

Salvage yards are now tidied up, incinerators and landfills have been closed and the new Route 146 passageway that runs through Quinsigamond Village has positioned the area for an economic boom.

Other major improvements to Worcester’s DNA include the development of the 44-acre Worcester Crossing shopping mall where U.S. Steel closed its doors and the Worcester Blackstone Visitors Center being built where the former Washburn and Moen factory was located.

City officials are thinking even bigger by integrating the recent transformation in Quinsigamond Village into the Villages’ other businesses.  They want to spruce up shops in the existing commercial corridor to flow with the Village revitalization – to the tune of about $1 million.

Worcester officials have developed a plan to accomplish just that.  In short, tipping fees from the old Greenwood Street landfill will furnish the funds for the storefront and façade improvement grant program.  Enhancements included in the program will be ornamental street lighting, streetscaping improvements, decorative crosswalk treatments and a small veterans memorial park.

The Greenwood Landfill closed its doors in 1985.  Since 2003, however, dirt has been allowed to be dumped from excavation projects into the old landfill.  Citizens agreed to allow the dumping fees collected to be used for neighborhood improvements.  The monies will fund the facelift on the remainder of the Village’s businesses.

The magnitude of effort and pride that Worcester citizens have displayed will draw real estate investors and homebuyers to a community.  Wherever there is revitalization, you’ll find investors interested in buying real estate property and homebuyers interested in moving in.

Of course, commercial and residential property values in Quinsigamond Village will increase due to the major improvements in the area, and the city’s coffers will grow based on increased property values.

In a down economy, it is encouraging to see such concentrated valiance and tenacity as is evidenced in Worcester’s Quinsigamond Village district.