Court Won't Be Held At DCU Center, Officials Say

WORCESTER, MA — As preparations are being made to reopen a coronavirus field hospital at Worcester's DCU Center, a plan to use the facility for court proceedings has been scrapped.

DCU Center General Manager Sandy Dunn told the Civic Center Commission in a meeting Wednesday that a plan to hold a three-week federal trial has been called off. The trial would've netted the DCU Center about $33,000, badly needed revenue during a time when the facility has not been able to host any events due to the pandemic.

Gov. Charlie Baker on Nov. 13 announced the state would reopen the coronavirus facility at the DCU Center to relieve local hospitals that are seeing a rise in patients being treated for COVID-19. The field hospital is the first one to reopen in Massachusetts this fall.

Dunn told commissioners crews will begin installing the 215-bed field hospital as soon as Wednesday. The hospital was dismantled at the end of the spring, but the components were kept ready in case of a second wave. UMass Memorial Health Care will run the hospital with help from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. The hospital should be ready to open by Dec. 6, Dunn said.

The Civic Center Commission unanimously voted to allow the hospital to use the facility for free.

The hospital is also displacing a tenant at the DCU Center. Worcester Wares has closed its store at the civic center, but is being allowed to temporarily occupy a space at 303 Main St. rent-free while the hospital is open, Dunn said.

Dunn also said Wednesday that a movie may use the DCU Center as a filming location, which may bring in about $20,000, although it's unclear if the field hospital will interfere with the shoot.