Commercial Interests
A Banker & Tradesman Blog
The Next Step in Housing Reform Isn’t Coming from the Governor
The next big thing in housing affordability isn’t coming from Gov. Maura Healey or a leading legislator. Instead, a housing scholar is taking matters into his own hands.
Who’s Got an ‘Abundance’ Agenda in Massachusetts?
Some top Democrats on Beacon Hill say they’re big fans of the book roiling the party’s intellectual circles with its critique of why blue states build too little housing.
Let the Celtics Arena Games Begin!
Buried at the bottom of an otherwise routine column, a Celtics beat writer dropped a potential bombshell: The team’s new owner is looking to build a new home for Boston basketball.
How Boston Missed Its Biggest Chance to Rein in Rents
British developer Scape entered the Boston market with dreams of “solving” Boston’s housing crisis with 2,000 units of student housing. Now they’re dust in the wind.
Three Big Ideas for Fixing Boston’s Housing Production Problem
The decline in housing production in Boston, a city already beset with some of the nation’s highest prices and rents, has gone from bad to worse to simply catastrophic.
No Crying in Mass. About This Part of Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
As things stand now, some of the wealthiest homeowners in the most expensive Boston suburbs are in line for a big fat tax break.
Massachusetts’ Clean Energy Plans Face a Reckoning
The wheels are coming off our current plans to transition to a clean energy future. It’s time for a debate on how we balance the speed of transition with making Massachusetts affordable.
Sale Price Growth Slows Nationwide, While MA Continues to Climb
Just call it a tale of two real estate markets. Nationally, home prices have begun to level off and even decline in some markets – but here in Massachusetts, we continue to set new records, both statewide and in the perpetually overheated Greater Boston market.
Pioneer Institute Says Massachusetts’ Economy is Declining
It’s a wake-up call for elected leaders to move beyond incremental steps and pursue a bold, unified strategy – one that taps our world-class universities, research centers and talent to restore Massachusetts’ edge in innovation and opportunity.
Distressed Sales Show Boston’s Budget Problem Isn’t Going Away
A new report says, based on recent office sales and “weak” property tax collections, Boston’s property tax crunch could be getting worse.
The Number of Million-Dollar Towns Has Tripled in Five Years
It’s one of the Boston area’s most expensive yet fastest-growing clubs, and it’ll cost you seven figures to join. Fortunately, you can spread your payments over 30 years.
Spring Housing Market Off to Slow Start
Dismal, with a side order of jittery buyers: That’s the state of the spring real estate market as it limps towards an inglorious finish.
When Developers Are the Ones Halting New Housing
When it comes to NIMBY opposition that derails plans for new housing, it’s not just the neighbors raising a stink. Every now and again, it’s also rival developers worried about the competition.
Here Comes Trump to Further Wreck Boston’s Lab Real Estate Market
The battered life sciences sector is already sitting on enough empty lab space to fill 16 Prudential towers. Now, the Trump administration’s plans to cut billions in research grants will make the sector even worse.
Top Boston Attorney Warns Mayor on Office Tower Taxes
Could Boston be faced with a repeat of the infamous Tregor decision, the decades-old state court ruling that upended city finances? A top city real estate lawyer thinks so, and he’s urging Boston’s mayor to take precautions.
Boston Media Is Missing the Big Story When Covering Megaprojects
The real and much more important story right now? Why it is so hard to build in Boston, and who is to blame for so little progress on the city’s biggest proposed developments.
Boston’s Mayor Finally Starts to Admit There’s a Money Problem
But a line in the city budget acknowledging the impact of office and lab property values on Boston’s finances arguably downplays its severity as the mayor keeps focus on Trump, instead.
‘Unfunded Mandate’ Fallout: Is Beacon Hill Losing Its Appetite for Housing Fixes?
Maybe not so surprisingly, growing displays of open defiance by a handful of towns opposed to the MBTA Communities law are making lawmakers at the State House a bit nervous.
New Celtics Owner Has Lots of Reasons to Develop His Own Arena
Revenue-sharing with TD Garden’s owner, the arena’s outdated feel and a record-shattering purchase price could push William Chisholm to build on one of Boston’s many big development sites.
Pension Funds Losing Big from Slump in Office Values
For years, downtown office buildings were a solid bet for the public employee pension funds. Recent sales in downtown Boston show that’s not the case, anymore.
This Week’s Newspaper
