REQUEST FOR DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS 

SAINT GOBAIN ABRASIVES ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, 

1 NEW BOND STREET, WORCESTER, MA 

PROJECT/PROPERTY OVERVIEW 

New Garden Park, Inc. (NGP), the 501(c)3 wholly owned subsidiary of the Worcester Business Development Corporation (WBDC), acquired a ~51-acre portion of the former Saint Gobain Abrasives (SGA) campus (formerly Norton Company) in November 2022. Since this acquisition, NGP has been working diligently on the environmental remediation and demolition of the most obsolete industrial buildings for the purpose of preparing the site for reuse by new manufacturing companies, and construction of new public infrastructure with the end goal of bringing jobs back to this area of Worcester. 

Known as GreenTech Park, this redevelopment seeks to reposition this historically industrial campus, placing it back into an active use that connects the community- reestablishing two critical streets (Ararat Street to New Bond Street and New Bond Street to Norton Drive) and providing new, high-paying employment opportunities for area residents. NGP anticipates that GreenTech Park will create 3-5 larger development sites, designed to attract more efficient and modern manufacturing uses to the area. Upon full redevelopment of the ~51-acre site, NGP anticipates the park generating about 1 million square feet of new and renovated space that has the potential to create over 1,000 new jobs. 

The property is located wholly in an MG-1.0 Zoning District, partially within the Floodplain Overlay District, approximately 1 mile off I-190, and in close proximity to Indian Lake, Quinsigamond Community College, and the Burncoat and Greendale neighborhoods. The property is serviced by public water and sewer.  

A robust, vibrant city in the heart of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Worcester combines the warmth of a small town and the convenience of a thriving city. As the second largest city in New England, Worcester boasts diverse neighborhoods, distinguished colleges and cultural institutions, and a proud history of innovation and enterprise. With its close proximity to Boston, MA, Springfield, MA, Providence, RI, and Hartford, CT, and over six million people living within a 50-mile radius, Worcester is at a crossroads, providing unique opportunities for growth and development.  

As a manufacturing and innovation giant for over two centuries, Worcester has transformed itself into a leader in biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, information technology, health care, and medical research. Worcester is well-poised for success, due to a number of factors that make the city a natural environment for development: major investments in transportation projects, such as the Massachusetts Turnpike/Route 146 Interchange and the magnificently renovated Union Station, an intermodal center providing commuter rail to Boston, as well as Amtrak service to Boston and New York and intra- and inter-city bus services; a wealth of intellectual capital with its renowned colleges, universities, and cultural institutions; a competitively priced housing market; a strong primary and secondary school system, including a state-of-the-art, nationally recognized technical high school; an increasingly educated workforce; and a deep-rooted commitment to public/private partnerships. Together, these strengths have led to unprecedented investment in the city. 

Worcester is in the midst of an investment boom with several public and private projects currently planned, under construction, or recently completed. In recent years, CitySquare, one of the largest public-private initiatives in the Commonwealth, welcomed a new corporate office for Unum Group as well as the Saint Vincent Cancer & Wellness Center. More recently, an AC Hotel by Marriott is now open and a 365-unit luxury market residential complex was recently completed by Roseland Residential Trust, a Mack-Cali company. The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, celebrated drawing its two millionth patron to Downtown’s Federal Square this past year and the City’s DCU Convention Center & Arena completed a $30 million makeover. The biomedical/biotechnology sector includes Gateway Park, which boasts Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s $40 million, 120,000 square foot Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering Center, and Gateway II, a 92,000 square foot office and laboratory building; UMass Medical School’s 500,000 square foot Albert Sherman Center, the 250,000 square foot Advanced Center for Clinical Care, Education, and Sciences, and Biomanufacturing Park. Combined they continue to increase Worcester’s standing as one of the nation’s leading centers for medical advancements.  

Public transit access is available within walking distance to the east of the site along West Boylston Street. Additionally, WBDC is evaluating the potential for transit to circulate through the Park, with new stops within. In coordination with the WRTA, upon completion of the park, new sidewalks and/or shared use paths will extend along new public streets, designed for industrial end-users, and connect from West Boylston Street (to the east) to Norton Drive (to the west), and Ararat Street (to the North).  

The property is located within an area designated as a “Transformational Growth Area” in the City of Worcester’s 2024 Comprehensive Plan, Worcester Now │ Next. The area has a land use vision of “Industrial”, aligned with the GreenTech Park redevelopment. Consistent with its zoning, this vision encourages larger producers and distributors that are dependent on larger trucks, highways, and rail. It also allows for complementary, limited retail and commercial serving areas for businesses and employees. Notably the area borders an “Artisan” designated transformative growth area which encourages creative producers (e.g. fashion, furniture, food and beverage), with complementary retail, commercial, hotels, and residential uses. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION 

The 127,112 square foot historic Administration Building is located on the eastern portion of the ~51-acre SGA campus at 1 New Bond Street. Constructed in 1913, the Administration Building is a 5-story, Classical Revival-style brick building that consists of four connected blocks arranged around a central courtyard. The building sits on a granite foundation with a partially exposed basement level and features a flat roof with a cast-stone capped parapet.  

Various renovations have occurred throughout its 113-year history. Until December 2025, the Administration Building served as the corporate headquarters for SGA’s Abrasives Division. In January 2026, SGA relocated its executive offices to a new building immediately south of the site. Since that time, the Administration Building has remained vacant but is being maintained and climate controlled by the WBDC for occasional community programming. 

A unique design feature of the building is a large, two-story room that is located on the 4th floor. This room, known as Norton Hall, includes eleven (11) large-scale historic murals that are on three of the four walls. These murals, created by muralist Arthur Covey in 1927, depict the various stages of production and use of Norton Company products during the early 20th century. NGP is currently seeking opportunities to remove and relocate the murals from the Administration Building to the care and control of the Worcester Art Museum in the event the building is unable to be reused. As a preferred alternative, the murals would remain in place and the preservation of these murals could be incorporated into the proposed redevelopment plan for the Administration Building, with potential funds from the City’s Community Preservation Fund (CPF). 

The Community Preservation Act (CPA), adopted in Worcester in 2022, created a CPF where the City raises over $4 million annually to fund locally proposed projects related to community housing, recreation, open space, and historic resources. NGP has received a positive Determination of Local Historic Significance (DLHS) for both the Administration Building, and the set of murals in Norton Hall individually from the Worcester Historic Commission (WHC). The positive DLHS for the Administration Building makes projects relevant to its preservation and restoration eligible to receive CPA funding, provided that proposed work meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Rehabilitation. In addition to CPA funding, costs associated with preservation work may be eligible for heavy subsidy by state and federal historic tax credit programs. 

In 2024, as a result of the federal undertaking associated with the GreenTech Park Project, Section 106 consultation between the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Massachusetts Historical Commission, City of Worcester, and Worcester Historical Commission resulted in a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) executed to mitigate the adverse effects to historic resources resulting from the redevelopment project. Under the 2024 MOA between the USEPA, the City of Worcester, the Worcester Historical Commission (WHC), the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC), and NGP, the Administration Building was identified as a “building of interest”, indicating a preference for retaining and finding an adaptive reuse for the building. To evaluate its redevelopment potential, NGP has conducted several due diligence efforts, including consultation with a historic preservation firm, an architectural firm, and a structural engineering firm on the feasibility of redevelopment and re-use of the building.   

As part of these continued efforts to identify a redevelopment program, NGP is seeking development proposals for the Administration Building, with preference given to developers that will retain and adaptively reuse the historic building as part of their redevelopment proposal.  

ESTIMATED PROJECT SCHEDULE MILESTONES

The proposed schedule for this RFP is as follows: 

• Development RFP Issued – June 16th  

• Site visit - Monday, July 6, 2026 at 1:00 pm. Please email Alison Powers (alison.powers@jll.com ) to RSVP by June 22, 2026. 

• Email questions/comments to Alison Powers (alison.powers@jll.com ).  Deadline for receipt of comments – July 20, 2026

• Addendum with response to questions/comments issued, if necessary – July 27, 2026

Proposals due by August 10, 2026. Proposals must be submitted to: 

Alison Powers

JLL

ONE Post Office Square

Boston, MA 02109

Alison.powers@jll.com

One hard copy and one digital copy is requested.  Please address questions and comments to JLL, attention: alison.powers@jll.com.  

PROPOSAL FORM 

Prior to submitting a response to this RFP, the Developer must carefully review the enclosed documents, including but not limited to the existing conditions report and the building floorplans.   

The Developer’s Proposal shall, at a minimum, comment on and address the following issues: 

1. Provide a brief overview of the Development Team (Developer and Contractor), including history and experience.  Provide resumes of key officers of the Team, including backgrounds, responsibilities, and relevant experience. If proposing adaptive reuse of the structure, please specifically highlight the team’s experience with historic preservation projects. 

2. Provide an anticipated list of any proposed self-performed trades by the Contractor. 

3. Provide a general presentation of approach to the project. 

4. Developer will provide an assessment of existing and proposed conditions including, but not limited to, highest and best use, adaptive reuse proposals of the existing building, if proposed, permitting, design issues, financial analysis, and development timelines. Note: if desirable, an assumption may be made that the City of Worcester Historical Commission will assist with preparing a National Register nomination.   

5. Developer will define optimal financial structures for the proposed project.  As part of this, the Developer will prepare financial proformas for submission, highlighting debt and/or equity sources for the project, including any subsidy expected (grants/tax credits, etc.).  Developer will also review and propose potential alternative ownership structures for viability of the project. 

6. As part of the overall redevelopment of the Administration Building, the Developer will provide a proposed plan for the reuse of Norton Hall, giving consideration to the preservation of the ten (10) large-scale murals that encompass the walls.  

7. Any proposed redevelopment plan should note that the property is subject to a deed restriction that prohibits residential use. Housing or mixed-use residential developments are not permitted. Proposals should focus on commercial, institutional, office, research, hotel, manufacturing, or other adaptive reuse options. 

8. In the event that the RFP response is seeking to utilize state and/or Federal historic tax credits, the respondent should outline the steps it will seek to have the property evaluated for eligibility in the National Register of Historic Places (for state credits), and/or listed in the National Register of Historic Places (for federal credits) to access the potential tax credits. Note: if desirable, an assumption may be made that the City of Worcester Historical Commission will assist the respondent by preparing a National Register Nomination. By virtue of providing a positive Determination of Local Historical Significance to the building, the City of Worcester has determined that this is a historic structure. Renovations of a historic structure are not considered “substantial improvement” under the MA Building Code and the NFIP provided that the alteration will not preclude the structure’s continued designation as a historic structure (44 CFR § 9.4; 44 CFR § 59.1; 780 CMR Ch. 2). 

9. Any additional relevant information related to project scope. 

10. Three professional references with contact information and project type. 

BASIS FOR SELECTION 

The criteria for selection considers: 

• Design and technical expertise;  

• Expertise and experience in working with historic buildings; 

• Preference will be given to proposals which seek to preserve and adaptively reuse the historic building; 

• Experience with complex financing packages; 

• Local zoning/building code expertise; 

• Design team composition; 

• Availability of design principal; 

• Professionalism; 

• Project control tools;  

• Ability to meet project deadlines. 

NGP reserves the right to cancel this RFP at any time, and issue amendments/corrections.  Further, NGP reserves the right to award this contract or to not award this contract and to reject any or all qualifications. 

For access to additional information including the following documents please contact JLL

• Locus Map 
• DLHS 
• Section 106 Memorandum of Agreement 
• Current FEMA Flood map and BFE determination from the City of Worcester 
• ULI TAP Report 
• WBDC design plans for GreenTech Park redevelopment