Opinion
Argeo Paul Cellucci, 1948-2013
Beginning in 1997, I served as the director of Gov. Paul Cellucci’s office in western Massachusetts. Operating at a distant outpost of the administration in Springfield, I repeatedly benefitted from Paul Cellucci’s interest in the state’s western four counties. During the year and a half (prior to his election in 1998) that the media insisted on addressing Cellucci as “acting governor,†he visited western Massachusetts 24 times, an unprecedented number of visits for a sitting governor. Paul Cellucci, hailing from his native Hudson, knew well the perception among those in communities and regions west of Route 128 that Beacon Hill considered their interests and struggles rarely. I can recall one political strategist, noting the comparatively few votes to be had in western Massachusetts, saying there was little political need for statewide office holders to spend any time in western Massachusetts. Paul Cellucci would have none of that. He was engaged in the issues affecting that region and those in every Massachusetts region.
With Honorary Degree, Menino’s Legacy Still Cloudy
Harvard clearly thought it was being hip with its choice of Oprah as commencement speaker while ferrying Menino across the Charles for a little touch of local color.
The Higher Ed Bubble
If you have had to pay a tuition bill lately, you know firsthand there is a massive bubble right now in higher education.
Could Fracking, Casinos Fix State’s Jobs Problem?
A parade of college students, self-styled environment activists and clergy staged a “funeral for our future†this spring at the unfortunate Route 9 outpost of TransCanada, developer of Keystone XL Pipeline.
Change Means Fewer Listings
An already crazed spring market is about to get even crazier.
Starting tomorrow, the number of homes for sale across inventory-starved Massachusetts will drop again, big time. For buyers house hunting online, the change will be dramatic. Thousands of “active†listings will now overnight be relabeled as “under agreement.â€
Casino Money Sweetens Deal For Cash-Starved Towns
Don’t look now, but the cost of getting a major development project approved in the Bay State just shot up again.
In Battling Rising Costs, Developers Think Outside Box
It sounds 19th century retro and futuristic at the same time: a giant factory near Boston’s waterfront, literally churning out the city’s next wave of posh rental high-rises and office towers, one modular component at a time.
Lingering after-effects of the housing boom on Boston?
Calculated Risk has an interesting post in the wake of today’s Case Shiller numbers…
After Attack, A Nesting Impulse
Don’t bet against real estate, especially the Boston-area variety, in the wake of the diabolical Marathon bombings.
City’s Success Has Made It A Target
As the savage reality of the Boston Marathon bombings sinks in, it is pretty clear the Hub has finally made it onto the world stage. Yes, we’ve become a target for terror, alongside London and New York.
With Herald Building’s Obit Written, Big Changes In Store
The bulldozing of the old Boston Herald building may count as progress in some quarters – but not in my book, and not by a long shot.
The leveling of the long-time newspaper building, perched where the last development frontier of the South End meets Chinatown, is yet another step on the road to the Manhattanization of Boston, which is turning downtown Boston into a Potemkin village of luxury high-rises.
Sunny day, sweepin’ the clouds away….
Everyone knows that good picutre can make or break a listing, and of course perhaps the essential ingredient of a good picture is proper lighting, both indoors and out. There's nothing like a flickering flourescent bulb to make that lovely basement rec room look...
As Home Prices Surge, Building Permits Lag
Oh boy, here we go again. Prices are surging as the number of homes on the market dwindles.
How The Phoenix Boss Saved The Fenway
The Fenway is the hottest development zone in Boston and maybe even the Northeast right now, with new apartment towers jostling for a piece of the city’s skyline.
The Heat Is On For DeMarco?
Martha Coakley may have been early to the party in announcing her disdain for the man last month, but it looks like she's got company in wanting Federal housing chief Ed DeMarco to hit the tracks. Several state attorneys general are pushing for DeMarco's outster, and...
Gambling With Our Money?
Legalizing casinos was supposed to have been all about the money – cold, hard cash for state coffers and jobs for the unemployed.
So why in the world are Gov. Deval Patrick and other leaders bending over backyards to support the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe’s quixotic quest to build a Foxwoods-style gambling palace?
Schilling Fouls Up Real Estate Opportunity
Turns out Curt Schilling’s real estate judgment was nearly as catastrophic as his reckless, $100 million-plus gamble on 38 Studios, his now defunct video game start-up.
Patrick’s South Station Plans Could Hit Taxpayers Hard
The Patrick Administration’s grand plan to dramatically expand rail service at South Station grabbed headlines, but there’s been little mention of a potentially expensive little detail that could hit taxpayers hard in the wallet.
Putting your money where your mouth is….
Gahlord Dewald has a interesting column up at Inman today where he outlines a method whereby --- gasp, shock, horror --- one could actually put a dollar figure on the value of one's social network. The method is a little involved. You'd have to coallate metrics from a...
What’s driving the short sale inventory squeeze?
Redfin --- as is quite often the case --- has another interesting post on their corporate blog about real estate data. Their numbers this month are about the continuing decline in inventory --- down 18 percent compared to last year at this time. Everything I'm hearing...
This Week’s Newspaper
