Not so sure about this

Worcester County's economy may get worse before it gets better, but when it does finally recover, Worcester could be the next Cambridge, a panel of area bankers said during a discussion this morning.

The panel agreed that the University of Massachusetts Medical Center's growing profile as well as the affordability of real estate in the Worcester area could attract companies to the area the same way companies were attracted to Cambridge decades ago. They said businesses could flock to the area to be close to UMass and also Bristol-Myers Squibb, which is building a massive complex in Devens.