What's the highest tax bill in Worcester? $13.1 million

Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA)

WORCESTER -- Massachusetts Electric Co. paid the highest tax bill in the city in fiscal 2020, a whopping $13.1 million.

Massachusetts Electric, a subsidiary of National Grid, paid $13,109,877 in overall taxes on $372,863,400 in total personal property value, according to city assessor's records.

The personal property, which is not real estate, could include substations, poles, wires -- both above and below ground -- pipes, transformers, meters, conduits, tools and business furniture, according to a spokesman for Massachusetts Electric and National Grid.

Massachusetts Electric's multimillion-dollar tax bill soars over the average tax bills in Worcester. The average commercial bill is $34,885, and the average industrial bill is $32,440, according to the city assessor's office. The average residential bill is $4,227.85.

In Worcester, the tax rate on commercial, industrial and personal property is $35.16 per $1,000 valuation. The tax rate on residential property is $17.

At $13.1 million, Massachusetts Electric paid 4% of Worcester's total tax levy. According to the city, the total fiscal 2020 tax levy is $316 million. The top 10 highest taxpayers accounted for 12.5% of the total levy.

Eversource Energy, formerly NStar, was the second-biggest taxpayer in Worcester. The energy company paid $7,685,406 in total taxes, on $218,583,800 in overall assessed value. The total assessed value included $215 million in property value and more than $3 million in real estate value. The company owns 17 properties in Worcester, including 19 Quinsigamond Ave., which is assessed at more than $1.5 million.

In Boston, Eversource Energy ranked second behind Boston Properties, with more than $2.4 billion in taxable assessed value, according to city of Boston records.

St. Vincent Hospital, owned by the for-profit company Tenet Healthcare, was the third-highest taxpayer in Worcester in fiscal 2020. Under the entity VHS Acquisition Subsidiary, with a principal office at 1445 Ross Ave., Suite 1400, Dallas, which is an office of Tenet Healthcare, St. Vincent Hospital paid $5 million in overall taxes, based on a total assessed value of more than $144 million, according to city records.

St. Vincent Hospital, through VHS Acquisition Subsidiary, owns three properties in Worcester. The hospital site at 123 Summer St. was valued at more than $123 million, the highest single property assessment value in the city.

VHS Acquisition Subsidiary also owns the St. Vincent Cancer and Wellness Center at 1 Eaton Place and the property at 20 Washington Square.

New England Power Co., which holds the transmission assets of parent company National Grid, was the fourth-highest taxpayer in the city. New England Power paid nearly $2.5 million in overall tax, on a total assessed value of $70.8 million. The company has $55 million in personal property value and more than $15 million in real estate value, according to city records.

The owner of Lincoln Plaza, V3B SA LLC, was the fifth-highest taxpayer.

According to city records, the Lincoln Plaza owner paid about $2.3 million in real estate taxes on the shopping center, which includes several buildings on 45 acres at 525 Lincoln St. With an assessed value of more than $65 million, the Lincoln Street property has the second-highest single property assessment in the city.

Worcester TC LLC, which owns 100 Research Drive, was the next-highest property taxpayer in Worcester. The company paid nearly $2.3 million in real estate taxes on the site, which holds the third-highest property value for a single parcel in the city at more than $64 million. The property is leased by AbbVie, which operates a research and development center there.

The Hanover Insurance Group, through the entity 440 Lincoln Street Holding, was the seventh-highest taxpayer in the city. 440 Lincoln Street Holding paid nearly $2.2 million in real estate taxes on the property, situated at 440 Lincoln St., which includes five buildings on 51 acres. The property, which is the company's national headquarters, is the fourth-highest single parcel assessed value in the city at more than $62 million.

With a tax bill of more than $1.6 million, Front Street Associates, which includes the Mercantile Center properties owned by Chip Norton of Franklin Advisors, was the eighth-highest property taxpayer.

Front Street Associates has six parcels in downtown Worcester with a combined real estate value of more than $46 million. The downtown holdings include 100 Front St., the 19-story office and retail building across from the Common, which has an assessed value of more than $27 million.

Verizon New England has nearly $42 million in assessed value in the city, paying about $1.5 million in overall taxes, according to city records. Ranking ninth in overall tax, Verizon has eight pieces of real estate with a value of more than $11 million and personal property with an assessed value of $31 million.

In the 10th spot of overall tax payments, RK Worcester Crossing LLC pays $1.4 million in real estate taxes on more than $40 million in property, which includes four parcels at Worcester Crossing along Tobias Boland Way and McKeon Road. Worcester Crossing includes a Walmart store and Olive Garden.

Three other property owners paid more than $1 million in overall taxes.

Audubon Plantation Ridge, a luxury apartment complex off Plantation Street, paid $1,037,387 in overall taxes. Breit Mass Property Owner LLC, which owns the Courtyard by Marriott at 72 Grove St. and Hampton Inn and Suites at 65 Prescott St., paid $1,011,838 in overall taxes. Reliant MSO LLC, which is Reliant Medical Group, paid $1,005,822 in overall taxes.

Other top taxpayers include CSX Transportation Inc., which paid $999,177 in taxes; MC Roseland Worcester LLC, owner of 145 Front apartments, paid $981,920; Lincoln Street Realty Corp., owner of Lincoln Village apartments, paid $940,700; 446 Main Street Owner LLC, owner of Worcester Plaza glass tower at 446 Main St., paid $907,933.