Commercial Interests
A Banker & Tradesman Blog
Mass. Gateway Cities See Price Records
Sales of homes and condominiums in these mid-sized, older industrial hubs are rising as buyers, many of them first-timers, search for more affordable alternatives after being priced out of Boston and its ever more expensive suburbs.
Don’t Blame Labor for Boston’s High Building Costs
The Hub is No. 7 on the Turner & Townsend’s top 10 most expensive cities to build in. But it misses the mark by trying to off-load a big chunk of the blame on the workers building all those new towers taking shape.
Should Boston Worry About Office-Building Slump?
Boston is still in the midst of an epic building boom. But as the pandemic rolls on, warning signs have emerged that could spell trouble down the line for a city that depends heavily on new commercial development to fill its tax coffers.
Infrastructure Bill Passage is Just the Start
On paper, Massachusetts stands to reap a multibillion-dollar windfall when a federal infrastructure bill finally passes, as looks increasingly likely after last week’s “bipartisan” deal, with money to shower on everything from bridge repairs to high-speed rail.
It’s Time to Curb the Economic Development Racket
The all-out scramble to lure GE’s headquarters to Boston still sticks in my craw. Five years on from that debacle, there’s a budding campaign to officials from throwing away our hard-earned tax dollars on such dubious corporate recruiting campaigns.
Mass. Democratic Leaders Make Baker Look Progressive
Republican Gov. Charlie Baker must be congratulating himself after successfully outmaneuvering the top Democratic legislative leaders on the issue of when and how to spend billions in federal stimulus cash.
How About a Little Public Shaming on Cape Cod?
If the Cape’s housing crisis could be solved by words of warning and good intentions, there would already be thousands of new apartments across the Cape. It’s time for leaders who see what’s going on to start calling out the culprits.
Bulfinch Crossing Proposes 410K SF Lab Building
The Bulfinch Crossing redevelopment at the Government Center garage property could include one of the highest-profile life science projects built yet in downtown Boston.
Boston’s Housing Safety Valves Feel Pressure, Too
Middle- and working-class buyers unable to crack the Boston market have been able to find far more affordable, single-family alternatives in Southern New Hampshire and the suburbs of Providence. But those days could be be numbered
Is the Housing Demand Slump for Real?
Are we finally seeing the surge in home prices slowing? Or is it just an early summer mirage driven by exhausted buyers?
Boston’s Luxury Condos Have Hit Their Limit
Despite its bumper crop of new luxury condominium towers, Boston won’t be joining the gilded world of $100 million penthouses anytime soon. The mixed results of sales of several luxurious penthouses points to a price ceiling of sorts.
Why Boston Towers Keep Rising Along with Building Costs
For years now, experts have warned of a looming construction price apocalypse. Well, it has finally arrived, with steel and lumber both nearly tripling in cost over the past year, but 2021 is shaping up to be a record year for construction deliveries.
Blame Cronyism, Not Just Zoning for Our Housing Woes
The kind of small-bore politics and insider political jockeying that have dominated the state political scene for decades – as we’ll see unfold as the gubernatorial race gets going – come at the expense of any real effort to tackle the ongoing housing crisis.
What’s the Problem with Downtown Crossing?
Reality has yet to catch up with all the years of hype about the promise of “Midtown,” maybe best known for the posh Millennium Tower and the hum-drum shopping district it lords over.
Amherst Homeowners Push Misguided Apartment Freeze
What in the world is going on out in deepest blue Amherst? Plans for two new mixed-used projects in place of tired downtown retail plazas are drawing the ire of long-time residents.
Biden Needs to Put the Screws to the Suburbs
The Biden Administration has proposed spending a stunning $213 billion to tackle our nation’s growing affordable housing crisis. But in the end, all that extra cash sloshing around will fuel bidding wars for an artificially limited number of urban sites.
Massachusetts’ Growth Rate Shows We’re Not on a Winning Track
It’s a brief pause on a trajectory of diminishing political pull that is only headed down unless we can rein in the high cost and high hassle of living in Greater Boston
Congratulations to Boston’s Nicest, Most Stubborn Developer
An anti-gun violence activist, John Rosenthal may be best known for the Stop Handgun Violence billboard that used to hang along the Turnpike as it passed Boston’s Kenmore Square. Now maybe it’s finally time to start taking Rosenthal seriously as a developer as well.
Where Is Our Sick Housing Market Headed?
More people want to buy a home than ever before, with our “K-shaped” recovery sending demand through the roof. Yet never has there been so little to choose from, with sellers holding back from trying the market due to COVID-19, making a long-standing shortage of new construction that much worse.
Moulton’s Transit Dreams Don’t Add Up
The pandemic has turned the world upside-down, especially the world of work. Doesn’t that mean we should reconsider big-ticket ideas like the North-South Rail Link and East-West Rail?
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