About this Event
This special forum and awards program produced by the Worcester Business Journal will bring together the key players shaping the region’s evolving real estate landscape. This high-impact event will feature local business leaders, real estate executives, developers, and industry professionals for insightful discussions on current projects, emerging market opportunities, and the forces driving growth across the Central Mass region.
Attendees will gain valuable perspectives on market trends, development challenges, and investment strategies, while building connections with the key stakeholders and leaders driving the region’s next wave of development.
Following the panel discussions will be WBJ's 2026 Real Estate Awards.
Read about this year's honorees .
Agenda:
7:15am - Breakfast & Networking
8:15 am - Welcome Remarks
8:30am - Panel l: Major Developments Shaping Central Massachusetts
Large-scale projects throughout Central Mass are redefining downtowns, revitalizing underutilized properties, and meeting growing demand for housing, mixed-use space, and modern commercial assets. Local CEO’s, developers, planners, and industry experts will explore the region’s most significant current and future projects, the challenges and opportunities they present and the economic impact on the region.
Moderator: Mark Borenstein, Partner, Prince Lobel
Panelists:
- Ralph Crowley, President & CEO, Polar Beverages
- Craig Blais, President & CEO, Worcester Business Development Corporation (WBDC)
- Brittany Gesner, Director of Land Development, Worcester, VHB
- Phil DeSimone, Executive Vice President, Kelleher & Sadowsky
9:35am - Panel ll: Unlocking Housing: Affordability, Development and Regulation
As housing demand continues across Central Mass, conversations about affordability, policy, and new development have taken center stage. This panel will explore the housing landscape through the lens of adaptive reuse, rent control and stabilization efforts, and the opportunities and challenges surrounding multifamily investment and apartment development. Industry leaders will share perspectives on how policy decisions are shaping the market and how developers are adapting to meet shifting community needs.
Panelists:
- David Greaney, CEO, Synergy
- Alex Corrales, CEO, Worcester Housing Authority
- Patrick Lee, Principal, Trinity Financial
- Joshua Lee Smith, Partner, Bowditch
- Nancy Niemi, President, Framingham State University
11:00am - Real Estate Awards
- Innovative Project of the Year (Adaptive reuse): David Greaney, CEO, Synergy Investments - Chestnut Place
- Community Impact Project of the Year - Trinity Financial and Worcester Housing Authority Curtis Apartments Redevelopment: Patrick Lee, Principal, Trinity Financial and Alex Corrales, CEO, Worcester Housing Authority
- Lifetime Industry Leadership Award: Craig Blais, President & CEO, Worcester Business Development Corporation (WBDC)
11:30am - Closing Remarks & Networking
Event venue & nearby stays
Hogan Campus Center, College of the Holy Cross, 1 College St., Worcester, United States
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