Opinion
Pay Attention to Train Electrification
The dream of frequent, electrified suburban trains in Greater Boston has long seemed perennially on the horizon. Could this time be different? Indications are, yes. And housing developers should start keeping an eye on the project.
Healey’s Transportation Funding Task Force Is Set Up to Succeed
We’ve seen many blue-ribbon commissions on transportation before. But this time, everyone knows that failure to find solutions means the MBTA – and the Greater Boston economy – will be in jeopardy.
Pull Together to Fix Downtown Boston
Is Boston headed for a fiscal cliff or a fiscal hiccup thanks to falling office utilization? Two things are for sure: no one should take fears of a calamity lightly, and everyone should use this threat as an occasion to fix what’s long been broken.
Banker & Tradesman’s Editorial Cartoon: Milton, Check Your Mailbox
Attorney General Andrea Campbell is paying a visit to Boston’s southern neighbor with a special delivery.
Driving the Best Bargain Now Isn’t the Best Long-Term Strategy
Conventional wisdom says that you should never leave money on the table when negotiating. But research in the field of game theory suggests this could be exactly the wrong approach.
Be Careful What You Wish For, Madam Mayor
Don’t like the Boston Planning & Development Agency? Think it’s too close to developers and business interests and should be abolished? Just amp up the fractious Boston City Council’s influence on what gets built.
A New ‘Public Bank’ Can Be a Partner for Massachusetts’ Banks and Small Business
There is a potential new partner just over the horizon for Massachusetts’ community banks, community development financial institutions, small businesses, farms and underserved communities: a Massachusetts Public Bank.
Watch Out for ‘Gotcha’ Clauses in Homebuyer Representation Contracts
Would you pay a 9 percent commission to buy a house? The scenario is a long shot, but it’s still conceivable, if you’re not careful, according to a review of buyer-broker contracts reviewed by the Consumer Federation of America.
Goodbye to Downtown Skyscraper-Building
When the South Station tower opens next year, it will be one of the largest office projects ever built in the city. It may very well be one of the last as well.
These Show Homes Take Different Paths
Two model homes being showcased at this week’s International Builders’ Show try to offer solutions to some of today’s biggest challenges: sustainability and the difficulty of “trading up” as your family changes.
Speak Up for Zoning Reform in Boston
Boston has a housing crisis of its own making. We let unelected, vocal minorities block the new homes that would get us out of this mess.
Court Upholds Defective Foreclosure Deed
The vast majority of mortgage loans are repaid without incident, but when they go into default, peculiar twists and turns can ensue. A federal district court decision issued in January, involving a home in Framingham, offers an example.
Milton’s Vote Shows Local Officials Need Help to Make Zoning Reforms
By design, MBTA Communities was supposed to immunize local elected officials from local resistance to new housing. But that’s not happening. Here’s what we need to do next.
Sun Belt Wins, Mass. Loses in Housing Construction
Massachusetts politicians should look at Raleigh, North Carolina with a mixture of anger, envy and fear: Anger and envy that that metro has outpaced us in housing construction by miles, fear that it will help them steal our jobs and prosperity.
How Design Factors into a Swift Residential Sellout
Location may be one of the most common words to describe valuable real estate, but when embarking on a multifamily or single-family project, regardless of location, design arguably reigns supreme.
Discovery by Design at AstraZeneca’s New R&D Facility
This 570,000-square-foot tower will accommodate up to 1,850 employees after it opens in 2026. Teams from AstraZeneca and Alexion Rare Disease will collaborate here to transform the future of healthcare.
Experts’ Voices Must Be Part of Decarbonization Conversation
We are experiencing a sea change in regulations related to sustainability and decarbonization in the built environment. And technical experts like architects need to have central roles in their development.
Banker & Tradesman’s Editorial Cartoon: A Short FAQ Document
Bankers are grappling with complex changes to Community Reinvestment Act regulations.
IBA’s South End Project Maximizes Cultural Impact
A new arts center, which incorporates elements of the historic building it’s replacing, will be a hub for the Boston Latinx community’s cultural empowerment.
Banker & Tradesman’s Editorial Cartoon: New AML Regs
Uncle Sam is keeping an eye on finance fraud and money laundering.
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