A Worcester property investor has paid $2.2 million for a portfolio of multifamily properties in Northbridge, Southbridge and Webster.

The portfolio includes roughly 33 housing units split amid seven buildings in the three communities, now owned by Edward Murphy of Westborough, a property investor who runs three Worcester-based firms: Baystate Investment Fund, 7 Hills Property Management and weRENTcentralmass, all headquartered off Kelley Square in Worcester's Canal District.

Murphy bought the sites from Hang Ngo of Northbridge. The sale closed Oct. 6.

The deal includes 2-12 and 14-24 D St. in Northbridge, 32-34 and 38-42 Worcester St. in Southbridge, and 24-26 E. Main St. and 72 Granite St. in Webster.

WORCESTER – Plans have been revived to redevelop the long-vacant upper two floors of a building at Kelley Square that once housed a silent-movie theater.
The Historical Commission Thursday night unanimously approved a waiver to the city’s demolition delay ordinance so work can be done on the exterior of the building at 1 Kelley Square to accommodate plans to convert the upper two floors into office space.
The first floor of the building is commercial space.
The Historical Commission approved a demolition delay waiver for the building more than four years ago when its owner wanted to convert the upper two floors into apartments. But those plans never got off the ground because of some structural issues that had to be overcome, according to Edward Murphy, the building’s owner.

Since then, the focus has changed to office space for the upper two floors, he told the Historical Commission Thursday night.
Murphy said the plans are to remove and replace the building’s existing metal and wood windows and remove brick infill from the arched window bays. The windows were infilled with brick to block daylight from the movie theater.
The arched window bays, which are considered a key historical feature of the building, will remain intact.

Also, the window openings on the second floor will be lowered by up to two feet. That means having to remove some of the building’s exterior brick masonry.
Currently, one cannot see out of any of the windows in the second-floor theater space without standing on a ladder.
The building, known as the Vernon Theatre Block, is listed on the Massachusetts Cultural Resources Information System. It falls under the purview of the city ordinance that automatically puts a one-year hold on the demolition or major alterations to the exterior of historic structures to allow time to explore alternative uses.

In order to be able to begin work on the building sooner rather than later, the owner needed a waiver to the demolition delay ordinance from the Historical Commission. In order to be eligible for the waiver, it must be shown that the changes to the building will not have a detrimental impact to the historical or architectural resources of the city.
The plans won praise from members of the commission.
"Sometimes we have to make some accommodations for a building to continue to be functional," said Commissioner Randolph Bloom. "This building was designed as a theater."
Commissioners Diane Long and Tomi Stefani also spoke favorably of the new design, saying it will not hurt anything to the building in terms of its architecture or historical significance.
"The new design looks great and will compliment the building and everything else going on in Kelley Square," Long said.
One of the more prominent buildings in Kelley Square, bounded by Harding and Water streets, the three-story brick building was built in 1916. It was once the home of the street-level Salty Dog Saloon, which closed in May 2013.
The building’s upper two floors have long been vacant and were the onetime home of the Vernon Theatre, a silent movie theater that closed its doors in 1920 after four years of operation.

​WORCESTER — An arrangement has been made to preserve the iconic neon sign above the former Weintraub’s Jewish Delicatessen on Water Street and move it to the Wachusett Brewing Co.’s Brew Yard at the new Worcester Public Market at Kelley Square.

With that agreement having been reached, the Historical Commission on Thursday night unanimously approved a demolition delay waiver that will enable the building’s new owner to remove the sign and proceed with further renovations to it.

Weintraub’s, a 99-year-old Water Street landmark and Worcester’s last remaining Jewish deli, closed in April 2019.

Jean-Luc Wittner, who plans to open Suzette Creperie & Cafe at the 126 Water St. location, told the Historical Commission in February that he and his landlord, Edward Murphy, are very respectful of history and preservation and want to make sure the Weintraub’s sign lives on.

In February, the Historical Commission granted a waiver to the city’s demolition delay ordinance to Wittner could proceed with work to remove the building’s existing facade and replace it with a new designed one.

As part of that vote, the commission also asked Wittner to come back with a plan regarding the sign’s future. Commissioners said they wanted to see an effort made to preserve the sign and find a new home for it.

Michelle Johnstone, the city’s preservation planner, informed the Historical Commission Thursday night that a proposal has been made to move the Weintraub’s neon sign to the Brew Yard.

The market is located less than a block from where Weintraub’s used to be, in the Canal District.

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She said if there comes a time when the sign will no longer be at the brewery, then it will revert to Murphy’s ownership as the building’s owner. She said if that happens Murphy has proposed then donating the sign to the Worcester Historical Museum.

The proposal was wholeheartedly supported by commission members.

“I think that’s an acceptable proposal,” said Commission Chairman Mark Wamback.

The property at 126 Water St., which was built in 1910, is subject to the city’s demolition delay ordinance because it is listed on the Massachusetts Cultural Resources System and it is located in the Blackstone Canal National Register Historic District.

The demolition delay ordinance puts an automatic one-year hold on the razing of historic structures or proposed significant changes to the exterior of those buildings. A waiver to the delay can be sought but a petition must be filed with the Historical Commission and the case made that the plans will not be detrimental to the historical or architectural resources of the city.

At least three parties were said to be interested in the sign, one of them being the Worcester Historical Museum.

​Weintraub’s Jewish Delicatessen on Water Street is a part of Worcester’s past now, but the iconic neon sign above the storefront is still there and will remain there until a suitable new owner and home is found for it.

The Historical Commission received that assurance last week from the owner of a business that will open there, as well as from the owner of the property at 126 Water St.

Jean-Luc Wittner, who plans to open Suzette Creperie & Cafe, told the commission that he and his landlord, Edward Murphy, are very respectful of history and preservation and they want to make sure the Weintraub’s sign lives on.

“We adore that neon sign,” he said. “We even had the crazy idea of using it ourselves and making it a table inside with a glass top, but we don’t have the space for it.

“Everyone loves that sign,” he continued. “We are conscious of that, as is the landlord. Everyone in Worcester knows that sign. It has a high historic value and it goes beyond the limits of the city of Worcester. We can assure that sign will not be removed until we have a solution as to who is going to take it and preserve it.”

Wittner said he has been told at least three parties are interested in the sign, one of them being the Worcester Historical Museum. He said he does not know who the other two are and the landlord is not willing to make them public at this time.

“The sign will not disappear, I can guarantee you that,” he told the Historical Commission. “It will go to someone who can take good care of it.”

Weintraub’s, a 99-year-old Water Street landmark and Worcester’s last remaining Jewish deli, closed in April.

Stephen Rolle, assistant chief development officer for the city, complimented both the owner of the property and its new tenant for understanding the importance of the Weintraub’s sign and caring enough to want to find an appropriate home for it before taking it down.

“They’re not there yet,” Rolle said of finding that new home for the sign. “They’re still exploring what the right solution is.”

Julie Dowen of the Worcester Heritage Society said she greatly appreciated the efforts to save the sign.

She said it is very important to the heritage of Worcester, adding that she hopes it can remain in the city and remain as part of it forever.

The removal of the neon sign was part of a building demolition delay waiver sought by Wittner, who is renovating the building. The Historical Commission agreed to continue that part of the demolition delay waiver request to its next meeting, March 5.

Meanwhile, the commission did grant a waiver to Wittner’s request to remove the building’s existing facade and replace it with a newly designed facade.

He said parts of the facade are in very bad shape, with some pieces missing, rusting or falling apart.

Buildings hosting the Uxbridge House of Pizza, a Subway and others in Uxbridge center have sold for nearly $1.6 million.
 
The sale includes two adjacent commercial buildings at 5 and 11 S. Main St. just south of the intersection of routes 122 and 16, according to the Worcester County Registry of Deeds. The buildings also include Depot Cafe and Jay's Smoke Shop.
 
The buyer was Baystate Investment Fund of Worcester, whose owner, Edward Murphy, has bought and rehabbed properties around Worcester, including the building off Kelley Square housing European Bakery & Pastry.
 
The sellers of the Uxbridge buildings were the Skeean Family Revocable Trust and trustees and sisters Debra Cleveland and Catherine Anderson.
 
The sale closed Dec. 13.
 
The buildings, each two stories, have a combined 24,000 square feet. They were last assessed by the Town of Uxbridge at a total of $1 million.

Along Worcester’s Water Street, empty storefronts are getting new life in 2020.
 
A new gym called Unrivaled Training is opening on Wednesday in the building that once housed the iconic Widoff’s Bakery, offering full group training.
 
Owner Matt Carroll said the program will be well-structured with equipment including a full dumbbell rack, full power racks, benches and the best cardio equipment, which in particular takes stress off a person’s joints.
 
“You’ll get a complete workout that will structure the body here,” Carroll said. “I can cater to athletes and the older population or people who haven’t worked out before.”
 
The gym has heart rate monitoring, which will be visible on large television screens, which will help Carroll assist members with their workouts, he said.
 
“If you’re new coming into the gym and you shouldn’t have your heart rate that high for an extended period of time, I can kind of gauge that on the fly,” he said. “Also on the fly, I can see if an exercise is too easy for the trainee, or too hard, and make an adjustment.”
 
Memberships will cost between $79 and $150 per month. Right now, Carroll is offering a discount of 10 percent off the unlimited package.
 
Widoff’s closed in 2015. One of its most popular offerings was bulkie rolls.
 
“I used to come here for rolls all the time,” Carroll said.
 
In the years since Widoff’s shut its doors, Team Link Muay Thai, a boxing gym, has opened on the top floor of the building.
 
Property owner Ed Murphy said there are still two spaces available for lease. A wall separating the adjacent units could be knocked down to create one larger unit.
 
Next door to Unrivaled Training, a bubble tea shop is being built out with a goal of opening in early February.
 
James Ta of Worcester is the franchisor for this location of One Zo, a bubble tea brand with another location in Quincy, as well as shops in California and New York. The brand says it’s the first cafe in the world to make its boba in-store.
 
Ta said one of the biggest reasons he wanted to open in the Canal District was the news that the Worcester Red Sox would be playing Triple-A ball a few blocks away at Polar Park, which is currently under construction.
 
The shop will be cozy and have a coffee shop vibe with free WiFi, Ta said. One Zo could employ as many as 50 people, he said, and customers will be able to watch employees hand-make various flavors of boba.
 
Some of the popular items at One Zo include brown sugar milk tea, taro milk tea and avocado foam milk tea, Ta said.
 
Worcester is years into a renaissance bringing new dining, development and entertainment to the city. The Canal District is home to a selection of the new businesses.
 
Across the street from Unrivaled Training and One Zo, work continues on Suzette Creperie and Cafe, located in the building that was once home to Weintraub’s Jewish Delicatessen.

Three developers in Worcester’s Canal District have purchased lots from Wyman-Gordon, the company which earlier this year officially sold land for the Polar Park stadium and surrounding development.
 
Canal District Parking LLC, comprised of Crompton Place owner Dino Lorusso, Canal District developer Ed Murphy and Worcester Public Market owner Allen Fletcher, purchased lots at 9 Landgon St. and 156 Washington St. from Wyman-Gordon for $1.035 million, according to Murphy and land records.
 
The Canal District, including an expansive swath of abandoned Wyman-Gordon lots, have been the subject of major redevelopment plans in the last year as the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox announced the team would be moving from Pawtucket, Rhode Island, to Worcester.

Earlier this summer, the developers started a shuttle service and to maintain parking for employees and customers of local businesses as construction on the baseball stadium begins, eating up a large parking lot.
 
The lot will be under construction for the forthcoming Worcester Red Sox ballpark.
 
Murphy said the group wanted the lots to secure parking in the neighborhood and does not have any immediate plans to use the land otherwise.
 
The 156 Washington St. lot has been used for parking since last month.
 
“As soon it was announced where the baseball team was going, Dino obviously was losing parking so the search at that point started for additional parking,” Murphy said.
 
Having Canal District employees park in those lots will free up street spots for people visiting the neighborhood to shop and eat, Murphy said.
 
The $240 million project including Polar Park and its surrounding development has put eyes on real estate in Worcester, especially the Canal District.
 
Earlier this year, Wyman-Gordon sold 18 acres to Denis Dowdle of Madison Downtown Holdings, who planning about 250 residents, a 500-plus space parking garage, an office building overlooking the ballpark, two hotels and retail and restaurant space.
 
Wyman-Gordon sold those acres for $6.1 million, according to land records.
 
Illustration of Polar Park
Wyman-Gordon sells land for Worcester Red Sox ballpark project to Madison Downtown Holdings for $6.1 million
 
The property was sold to Madison Downtown Holdings, the Boston company that is redeveloping the industrial site with plans, two hotels, retail space and apartments.
 
Last month, the Worcester Red Sox and city officials broke ground on the project, starting the construction of the ballpark, slated to cost upwards of $86 million.
 
An opening is planned for 2021.
 
On Wednesday, the first major demolition happened on the site.

Edward Murphy, who has purchased and rehabbed properties around Worcester, has bought a mixed-use building on Millbury Street just off Kelley Square for $1.2 million.
 
The property at 23 Millbury St., which includes European Bakery & Pastry, European Cafe & Deli, and nine upper-floor apartments, sold for well above its assessed value of $697,800, with the seller's representatives saying it received multiple offers within the first week it had the property on the market.
 
That firm, the investment sales broker Northeast Private Client Group, which has local offices in Newton, announced the sale. The deal closed Aug. 1.
 
Murphy bought the property through his Baystate Investment Fund, which is headquartered in the Canal District. Murphy, who lives in Westborough, has several other real estate businesses in which he buys, renovates and manages properties, including 7 Hills Property Management and weRENTcentralmass.
 
Murphy said he normally acquires distressed properties that require more work, but he said 23 Millbury St. doesn't fall into that category. The building is in good condition, but its apartments have been rented at rates 50% to 60% below today's market rates, he said.
 
Current tenants will be offered lower rents, but rates will still increase, Murphy said. Both first-floor commercial tenants, both longtime occupants, plan to stay, he said.
 
The sellers were Stanley Siudak and Zbigniew Surowaniec, according to the Worcester County Registry of Deeds. The four-story building includes 18,000 square feet on 0.15 acres.

WORCESTER - Their mission is bold.
 
“We want to do the impossible: train Worcester people to park two blocks away and walk,” said Canal District developer Allen Fletcher.
 
But with the upcoming reconfiguration of Kelley Square and the construction of Polar Park, now just may be the time for such a revolutionary idea as a free shuttle service connecting satellite parking lots and the Canal District.
 
“My vision for this whole neighborhood is always for it to be a walking district,” said Dino Lorusso, owner of Crompton Place. “We’ll get you to the district — then walk around!”
 
The Canal District Shuttle officially kicked off Tuesday, running a roughly 10-minute circuit to bring employees and customers from satellite parking lots to businesses in the Canal District.
 
Passengers can park for free at four lots on the other side of Kelley Square from the Canal District’s main drags of Green Street and Water Street. The parking lots are at 156 Washington St., 172 Washington St., 182 Washington St., and 9 Langdon St. They offer a combined 200 to 250 spaces and are a four-minute walk from Crompton Place, developers said. According to Google Maps, the walk to Crompton Place on Green Street is five minutes for the quarter-mile from the closest of the lots and nine minutes for the half-mile from the farthest.
 
The 15-passenger bus will make stops Tuesdays through Saturdays in front of Crompton Place on Green Street; at the Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center, which is at Harding and Winter streets; on Harding Street behind The Queen’s Cups, Maddi’s Cookery and TapHouse, and Lock 50; and then at 1 Kelley Square near the Worcester Public Market under construction.
 
The idea is driven (quite literally — you might see them behind the wheel) by three Canal District developers: Mr. Fletcher, owner of the Worcester Public Market, Mr. Lorusso and Ed Murphy. It is funded with a $60,000, three-year loan from Cornerstone Bank and from donations from local businesses, including BirchTree Bread Co. Table Talk Pies, and Smokestack Urban Barbecue.
​
“We are pretty excited about the shuttle for both our customers and employees,” said Avra Hoffman, co-owner of BirchTree. “How can we not be? It’s a free ride to a free parking lot! That’s a pretty sweet deal.”
 
Many things are still “a work in progress,” according to developers, such as how much participating businesses will pay, whether there will be nighttime service extending from business hours to 10:30 p.m., and whether musicians will be recruited to play on the bus.
 
But the developers are betting the service will be well-used both by employees who work in the district and the public.
 
The Canal District is already a draw where parking is at a premium, the developers noted. And spaces are expected to become more desirable as construction commences and eliminates some parking. In fact, the city has launched a website, www.worcestercanal.com, for residents and visitors to stay up to date on construction activities, upcoming traffic changes, and parking options. Visitors can also sign up for weekly email updates, according to the city.
 
“We think we’re helping solve a problem, and wherever it takes us we’re happy to go there,” said Mr. Murphy.
 
The developers are well-aware of perhaps their biggest challenge: Worcesterites’ innate predilection for storefront parking.
 
“This again is this new radical concept of parking and actually walking,” Mr. Fletcher said. “If we do it right, it could be a signature of the district.”

With more retail and residential development by the month, Worcester’s Canal District is booming. The latest addition to the district, the Worcester Red Sox’s Polar Park, is about to break ground.
 
But the Canal District is also trying not to become a victim of its own success.
 
“With the success of the neighborhood, parking’s become more and more of the problem,” Developer Edward Murphy said.
 
In fact, in her monthly Worcester Business Journal column “The Struggle Is Real,” The Queen’s Cups bakery owner Renee Diaz wrote that the “construction, WooSox and regulation are killing Canal District dreams.” She says it makes her wonder if hers and other small businesses “will survive the next five years.”
 
“We all welcome the ballpark,” developer Allen Fletcher said. “We all are convinced that in two years the state of affairs around here is going to be terrific. What we’re worried about now is how to get from now to then.”
 
Fletcher and fellow developer Edward Murphy have teamed up with Crompton Place owner Dino Lorusso to try to tackle that problem head on.
 
“We originally had parking for 200 vehicles over at Ash Street, but that’s exactly where the ballpark’s going to be built,” Lorusso said.
 
So they had the idea for a shuttle service, got it sponsored by Cornerstone Bank and purchased four lots on the south side of Kelley Square that they’re already transforming into parking lots for about 250 cars.
 
“It’s expensive, but with the three of us it’s not too bad,” Murphy said.
 
They hope the shuttle will eventually run daily, morning to night, with hours expanding as more businesses join in.
 
“If we can get the neighborhood to chip in monthly, we’ll run it more hours and everyone can enjoy it,” Lorusso said.
 
Polar Park is scheduled to break ground later this month, while the free shuttle service is scheduled to begin Aug. 1.

​https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/worcesters-polar-park/91945/

Popular among college students, those with a sweet tooth and night owls, Insomnia Cookies is making Worcester its fourth Massachusetts location.
Insomnia Cookies is planning to open at 1 Kelley Square with a street-level storefront, bringing the delivery of warm cookies to New England’s second-largest city.
A grand opening date has not yet been determined, but the location is expected to open later this year and deliver cookies until 3 a.m. every day, according to the company.

Click here for the full article:  https://www.masslive.com/worcester/2019/04/insomnia-cookies-coming-to-worcesters-canal-district-with-cookie-delivery-until-3-am.html

​WORCESTER – Weintraub’s Jewish Delicatessen, the 99-year-old Water Street landmark and the city’s last remaining Jewish deli, will close next month, with plans to be succeeded by a French crepe café.

“We were a little reluctant to go away from the Jewish deli, but we’ve exhausted all efforts (to save it),” Edward Murphy, the building’s owner, said Monday.

Mr. Murphy bought the 126 Water St. property last summer and made it known he was looking for a serious candidate to take over the deli, which had fallen on hard times.

The once-thriving eatery – part of a string of Jewish businesses that populated Water Street in the mid-20th century - lost customers over the years as the neighborhood diversified, and had struggled with health code violations in recent years.

​Click here for the full article: ​https://www.telegram.com/news/20190318/weintraubs-worcesters-last-jewish-deli-to-close-french-creperie-moving-in

WORCESTER – Dariush “David” Mizrahi wishes he could say that business at the city’s only kosher deli spiked this week for Hanukkah.

He can’t.

“No,” the ungregarious proprietor of Weintraub’s replied when asked the question Friday as he sliced up some tender corned beef.

The 61-year-old, who announced a retirement in July but reversed course in August, said business, already tough, has declined since summer.

“I want people to know that we didn’t close down,” he said, although the long-term fate of the 98-year-old deli appears uncertain.

Local developer Ed Murphy, who bought the building in August for $360,000, told the T&G that although he’s still open to another operator continuing the deli, he’s exploring other options.

“We’re actively entertaining other offers,” said Mr. Murphy, who owns several properties in the area.

Click here for the full article: ​https://www.telegram.com/news/20181207/as-candles-light-for-hanukkah-weintraubs-hopes-flicker

WORCESTER - Weintraub’s Delicatessen, Worcester’s last remaining Jewish deli, was sold last week to local real estate developer Edward Murphy.

But Dariush “David” Mizrahi, who has run the business at 126 Water St. for the last 30 years, is still behind the counter, slicing kosher corned beef and pastrami and serving up matzo ball soup.

“I didn’t want the business closed,” Mr. Mizrahi, 61, said.

As for retirement? “I’ll think about that later.”

Mr. Mizrahi said the 98-year-old deli’s prospects would benefit from the proposed relocation to Worcester of the Pawtucket Red Sox and redevelopment of the Kelley Square area, including construction of the 10,000-seat Polar Park stadium for the top Red Sox minor league affiliate.

Dr. Charles Steinberg, PawSox president, came to Weintraub’s on Friday and ordered a tuna fish sandwich and side of coleslaw, according to Mr. Mizrahi. He told the waiters he’d be back.

Click here for the full article: https://www.telegram.com/news/20180829/weintraubs-sale-provides-new-lease-on-life-for-worcesters-last-jewish-deli

“It’s the perfect situation, and I think everything is going to come together,” said developer Ed Murphy, the owner of the Worcester-based Baystate Investment Fund, who owns several properties around the future ballpark site.

Worcester had its own development boom in recent years before the PawSox announced their intention to morph into the WooSox. CitySquare, a $565M mixed-use multiphased development, is underway on the site of the old Worcester Common Outlets mall downtown.  Roseland Residential Trust completed 145 Front St. at City Square earlier this year. Boston-based Trinity Financial is reportedly investing $55M to turn the former Worcester County Courthouse into 114 units of housing. 

​“I think the increased cost of living in Boston and the improvement of Worcester’s reputation since 2008 has helped,” Murphy said. “A lot of people have come back home when, in the past, they may not have wanted to.”

Click here for the full article:​ https://www.bisnow.com/boston/news/commercial-real-estate/how-the-woosox-could-birth-a-central-massachusetts-building-boom-92269?utm_source=CopyShare&utm_medium=Browser

Real estate interest grows
​
Real estate developer Ed Murphy's Kelley Square office lies less than half a mile from the long-abandoned Wyman Gordon property where the stadium will be built.

And while he is not yet fielding calls from national chains looking to set up shop nearby, there was a surge of interest as the PawSox deal became reality in recent weeks, he said.

"There's been an influx in the last two weeks of local tenants," Murphy said. "There's also investors calling about properties we have in the neighborhood to purchase."

Kelley Square, the city's chaotic, stoplight-free gateway between I-290 and the Canal District, will receive a state-funded overhaul to prepare for additional traffic, officials said Friday. According to Murphy, that will be a necessity.

"Pumping this much traffic through there 100 plus nights to year, it's going to need some tweaking," he said.

With the stadium not opening until in 2021, Murphy said property prices will likely increase on speculation of the foot traffic and economic activity to come.

Murphy said he plans on attending games and concerts once the stadium is open.

"I'd love to support the team," Murphy said. "I think it's a great thing for me to be able to walk from my office and go to a game."

​Click here for the full article: 
​https://expo.masslive.com/news/erry-2018/08/c23bc2a3d75327/an-incredible-story-worcester.html

WORCESTER – The framed black-and-white photographs inside Weintraub’s Jewish Delicatessen on Water Street tell the story of an era gone by.

In the 1930s, a smiling Sam Weintraub greeted the camera in a white shirt and tie, a handful of other similarly dressed employees by his side.

A photograph of the street from the 1960s shows a row of Jewish businesses - the large vertical Lederman’s Bakery sign looming in the distance - of which Weintraub’s was only one.

Today, Weintraub’s stands on a street that has long ceased to be a hub for Jewish shops, now two doors down from a marijuana lounge. It’s the only Jewish deli left in the city, and it could be gone by the end of summer, as owner Dariush “David” Mizrahi is retiring at the end of August.

“It was a difficult decision,” Mr. Mizrahi said from behind the counter Friday, where a menu of products written on a whiteboard has hung for a decade. The 60-year-old, who manned the shop alone Friday afternoon, is in the midst of selling the building to Ed Murphy, who owns a number of nearby buildings and is hoping to find someone to keep the deli going.

“I’d like to keep it what it is if I can,” said Mr. Murphy. He said he’s already heard some interest, and is hopeful the deli will not close for good at August’s end.

Click here for full article: ​https://www.telegram.com/news/20180720/weintraubs-landmark-jewish-deli-in-worcester-may-be-only-memory-by-end-of-summer

For Kate Stillman, making the two-hour drive to Boston Public Market to sell cuts of meat from the grass-fed animals she raises at her Hardwick livestock farm had become too much.

The owner of Stillman Quality Meats made the realization during the winter. She wanted to spend more time on the farm with her animals, and her 4- and 10-year-old children.


It was about that time that Stillman said she was starting to hear everyone talk about Worcester.

"You really need to drive through Worcester," people told her.

Stillman said she would usually hop on the Massachusetts Turnpike and avoid Worcester, but she decided to check it out.

"On a whim one day, I looked, just to what there was for commercial real estate," Stillman said in an interview. "I literally landed in the parking lot outside of Birchtree Bread...I was floored at sort of the vibe that was going on there."

Developer Ed Murphy showed Stillman a space on Harding Street.

Stillman started to float the idea to her customers: Would you shop at a brick-and-mortar in Worcester?

The response: "We would love to find you in Worcester."

Stillman said it was good timing. And the timing is fast, as she is planning to open her Canal District Butcher shop in mid-August.

​Click here for the full article:  ​https://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/2018/06/stillman_quality_meats_to_open.html

When developer Ed Murphy decided to acquire a troubled 16-unit apartment building at 1 Quincy Street in Worcester, he knew he would face challenges.
He didn't expect to find himself staring down the barrel of a gun.
As Murphy and his workers checked out the property before closing on the deal, a tenant mistook them for squatters and pulled a handgun on them, Murphy said in an interview.
"He told us he just got out of jail and wasn't scared to go back there. We defused it saying 'hey, we're property management, we're friendly.' It was a pretty interesting experience," Murphy said. "I wouldn't want to be here at night."

Click here for the full article: https://www.masslive.com/news/2018/02/ed_murphy_85_chatham.html

Maddi's Cookery and TapHouse
​
Chef Adam Hicks of Milford's Depot Street Tavern decided it was time for a second venture, and has invested in a Canal District location to open a second restaurant.

Maddi's Cookery and TapHouse, will offer a range of homemade dishes, including fresh salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, fish and chips and rotating specials. Maddi's will also have an approachable and affordable wine list and 20 craft beers on draught.

The name is a combination of Hick's children's names: Matthew, 9, and Addison, 2. The location was formerly home to The Perfect Game.

Maddi's, at 64 Water St., is expected to open in early spring.

Pageboy Hair Studio Inc.On the opposite side of Maddi's, Pageboy Hair Studio Inc. will open a salon with a storefront on Harding Street.
The salon will have six stations and feature an industrial-style design with concrete floors, Worcester developer Ed Murphy said.
With Maddi's on the Water Street side of the building, Pageboy and another available retail space on the Harding Street side and 16 residential units upstairs from all of it, the building is set to become a destination spot in the Canal District.

Click here for the full article: https://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/2018/01/these_restaurants_and_business.html

​Developer Edward Murphy

Worcester’s Canal District has the reputation of being a place where people go to party. At least one developer is trying to bring a bit of class to busy neighborhood.

Edward Murphy is behind the revitalization of three key properties on Water Street, the old Bucky’s Garage, on 56 Water St., Widoff’s Bakery on 129 Water St., and the former Perfect Game building, on 64 Water St. He’s brought the popular Queen’s Cup bakery from Millbury to the Canal District, and is working on building 16 one-bedroom luxury apartments in the Perfect Game building. Most recently, Murphy found a tenant for the long-empty Widoff’s Bakery building, a Brazilian kickboxing studio. These projects combined make Murphy a formidable force in the Canal District, and someone to watch during the Worcester Renaissance.

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​After renovations, Hicks said Maddi's will have an industrial feel with salvaged lights, custom wooden tables and a concrete bar.

The building is owned by Worcester developer Ed Murphy. Upstairs, there are 16 resident units. The restaurant will expand across the Water Street side of the building.

The opposite side has two units, one of which will be occupied by a hair salon.

Called Pageboy Hair Studio Inc., the salon will have six stations and feature an industrial-style design with concrete floors, Murphy said.

"I think it will become a destination spot where people want to go," Murphy said of the building. "He's going to bring people from his Milford location who want to come out and try this which brings new people to the Canal District."

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Murphy's interest in business first came working after school for his father's fire truck repair firm. Murphy obtained his real estate license at 19, and then acquired weRENTboston in 2005. He started weRENTcentralmass in 2008 – becoming the market leader in rentals – and then acquired the city's largest apartment rental agency, Guardian Select. Murphy then launched 7 Hill Property Management to provide services beyond leasing. In 2012 co-funded Stage One Investors to buy delinquent real estate tax and convert it into revenue for municipalities. That same year, he founded Baystate Investment Fund to buy and redevelop real estate.
If you spoke at a college graduation, what would the message be? I have failed miserably, so many times. Once you understand you can't move forward looking in the rear-view mirror, be prepared for your greatest successes.
Why work in Central Mass.? Boston real estate is for institutional investors. Central Mass. provides an opportunity for me in a growing market.

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A self-taught baker and without any business experience, King said she opened her original bakery “totally going out on a whim.” She took a leap of faith and never looked back, she said.
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​King’s close friend, Amy Chase, owner of Crompton Collective in Worcester, and Edward Murphy, King’s landlord, were instrumental in her decision to move to Worcester. She said she also discussed her plans with other business owners she knew in the Canal District. “Everyone said, ‘Go for it,’ ” said King.

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