Who Cares About Main Street? Not Massachusetts, Apparently
Massachusetts just lost its only statewide program to support downtowns and main streets. We need to think differently about how to support these vital places.
Mass. Economic Plans on Hold Due to Beacon Hill Dispute
Nearly three months into the new fiscal year, about one quarter of the state’s planned capital spending for economic development is tied up in an ongoing dispute among top House and Senate Democrats, according to a new report.
Healey: Eco Dev Plan Is ‘About Moving Forward With Energy’
The sweeping economic development plan that Gov. Maura Healey signed off on Tuesday calls for an ambitious slate of workforce development initiatives, plus investments in key sectors like the life sciences. But the governor declined to put a price tag on the package that will be put before lawmakers as an economic development bill in the new year.
Healey to Overhaul State Economic Development Plan
State officials plan to jump-start the process for creating the administration’s economic development plan next week, a framework that all new governors must produce during their first year in office.
Healey Names Economic Development Secretary
The day before she is to be sworn into office, Gov.-elect Maura Healey continued to build out her Cabinet by naming Yvonne Hao as her secretary of economic development and Jason Snyder as her secretary of technology services and security.
Dems Struggle To Salvage Jobs, Tax Relief Plans
As the election nears, Democrats who control the House and Senate remain unable to agree on how to revive stalled economic development and tax relief plans they once called as essential.
House $3.8B Spending Bill Includes $500M In Tax Relief
The House on Monday advanced a economic development bill that invests $350 million in hospitals, $100 million in port development, $175 million in housing development and more than $3 billion in other areas, all while rolling out a series of one-time tax rebates and permanent tax breaks.
Baker Sees Remote Work Dragging on Downtowns, Housing
Many employees have returned to the in-person daily grind more than two years after the pandemic reshaped public life, but economic impacts will be “pretty significant” if even a fraction of the workforce continues to embrace hybrid or remote models, Gov. Charlie Baker said on Thursday.
Talks Still Active On East-West Rail Authority
Legislative action to launch a long-sought passenger rail extension into western Massachusetts “certainly is being considered” among a growing to-do list, Senate President Karen Spilka said Monday, though the exact steps Beacon Hill will take remain unclear with less than eight weeks left for formal lawmaking business.
Hospitality Workers Rallying Against Proposed Hynes Sale
Gov. Charlie Baker’s latest push to sell off the Hynes Convention Center is poised to slam into opposition from organized labor leaders, who plan to rally against the idea Wednesday afternoon with “hundreds” of hospitality workers who could be affected.
GBAR Warns Econ Dev Bill Could Attract Rent Control Provision
Gov. Charlie Baker’s $3.5 billion economic development bill, traditionally seen as “must-pass” legislation, could potentially become a hot-button topic, a top real estate industry leader warned.
Business in Boston Is About to Include BIPOCs – for Real
Anyone who has moved the needle in equity work knows how important it is to have a group of leaders who are change makers and unafraid of shifting the system for the better. As Boston Mayor Michelle Wu builds her cabinet, she is letting the city know she means to make change.
BPDA Issues Final RFP for Giant Roxbury Parcel
Two years after the last effort to develop Roxbury’s long-fallow parcel P3 collapsed, the Boston Planning & Development Agency formally kicked off a new competition Thursday to extend the city’s building boom there.
Lowell Seeks Ballpark Rehab to Boost Visitors
Following the Boston Red Sox, decision to shutter its Lowell Spinners minor-league affiliate team, city officials hope renovating the team’s former ballpark can help lure a new team back.
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.
Now Is the Time for Gateway Cities to Rise
Following a terrible year in which our smaller cities bore the brunt of COVID-19, they now face the unexpected chance to position themselves for prosperity, if they can connect more of their residents to long-term stability and opportunities to build wealth.
State Launches One-Stop Website for Economic Development Applications
For-profit and nonprofit developers looking to use any of 10 state grant programs as part of their financing packages will now be able to find them all in the same place.
MassDevelopment President Liss Leaving at End of 2020
The state’s quasi-public development agency MassDevelopment will soon be in need of new leadership with CEO Lauren Liss preparing to step down at the end of the year after three years at the helm.
Suburbs’ Dilemma: New Jobs or New Housing?
Officials want to attract more life science and advanced manufacturing firms to the Route 3 North area to shore up tax bases, but developers are pushing housing.
Baker Keeps Zoning Reform in COVID-19 Economic Development Bill
Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito unveiled a $275 million COVID-19 economic recovery package to generate economic growth amidst the COVID-19 pandemic Friday morning. The legislation includes a long-stalled zoning reform.
