Before the onset of Covid-19, Worcester roared with commercial real estate activity, attracting developers from coast to coast. Los Angeles-based Benedict Canyon Equities bought the 24-story Sky Mark Tower apartment building for $28.8 million. Boston-based Synergy Investments jumped in the Worcester market with the $16.5 million purchase of Worcester Plaza at 446 Main St. And Madison Properties in Boston began development of the former Wyman Gordan industrial land, adjacent to Polar Park, the $115 million ballpark off Madison Street for the Worcester Red Sox. This multi-use project will feature a new Class A office building just beyond the ballpark’s left field. In addition, two hotels, 250 apartments and 65,000 square feet of retail space are in the works.

The Architectural Heritage Foundation, a Boston-based preservation group, has agreed to purchase the iconic Worcester Auditorium for $450,000. Their plan is to turn the auditorium into a forum for state-of-the-art commercial entertainment and an incubator for business entrepreneurs involved in the 21st-century digital media industry.