Commercial Interests
A Banker & Tradesman Blog
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Revenue-sharing with TD Garden’s owner, the arena’s outdated feel and a record-shattering purchase price could push William Chisholm to build on one of Boston’s many big development sites.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.
The Specter of the ’70s Stalks Downtown Boston
The Boston of the mid-2020s is far richer and more tolerant than it was half a century ago. But downtown is a weak spot in this success story as a new round of economic uncertainty strikes.
Another Terrible Year for Home Construction
Boston and other progressive cities and states are struggling to produce new homes, even as red states boom. Just call it a case of the blue state housing blues.
Mass. Environmentalism Has Hurt Our AI Prospects
As they spend billions on new AI ventures, tech companies are specifically seeking out states with nuclear plants, which can provide the kind of consistent, reliable power.
Healey’s Next Housing Push Can’t Forget Single-Family Homes
Too narrow a focus? That’s the big question about the Healey administration’s efforts to tackle the housing crisis to date, which have been skewed towards apartment projects.
Kraft Hits the Mark with Critique of Wu’s Housing Policies
The mayor’s defense of her housing policies ignores the experience of other cities. They dramatically hiked affordability requirements, only to see housing production collapse.
Is Housing a Vulnerability for Wu? She Seems to Think So
With Boston’s mayor being challenged on her housing record, she seems to be trying to burnish her credentials by taking credit for homes permitted under her predecessors.
Beacon Hill Should Be Bargain-Hunting on Infrastructure Right Now
Amid a big drop-off in private-sector construction, a relatively booming public sector beckons for contractors seeking to stay afloat.
Healey’s Pro-Housing Nonprofit Seems to Rack Up Few Wins
The nonprofit Gov. Maura Healey formed to help fund pro-housing fights appears to be doing just enough to anger some local voters but only delivering modest financial support for its cause.
State Needs New MBTA Communities Strategy
The debacle in Needham last week should be a wake-up call for the Healey administration, which needs to reconsider its whole approach.
Why It Matters that Mass. Is Missing Out on the Data Center Boom
Despite being home to research powerhouse, Massachusetts is nowhere to be found on the top 15 markets across the country for data centers. That’s hurting our ability to access this new source of blue-collar jobs.
Could North-South Rail Link Help Build More Housing?
It could be just the ticket to stop the MBTA in its tracks as it forges ahead with one of the most outrageous government boondoggles in recent years.
In White Stadium Fight, Echoes of Boston’s Past
A quarter-century separates Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s controversial soccer arena plans and the city’s last major sports stadium battle. Could they end the same way?
Government Workers Are Key to Downtown Boston’s Revival
Boston’s mayor and Massachusetts’ governor have been cheerleaders for downtown firms to bring their employees back to the office full-time. But they could be doing a lot more with their own workforces.
Boston Mayor Angers Neighborhood Activists
Has Boston Mayor Michelle Wu managed to unite real estate developers and neighborhood activists against her with pending tax increases on homeowners and the White Stadium redevelopment?
This Week’s Newspaper
