Massachusetts needs to rework its tax incentive programs to create jobs, stimulate commercial development, and build market-rate housing in the state’s most economically distressed cities. That was the message from […]
Growth and Development
Posted inEconomy, Politics, The Download
Bay State Banner gets loan, draws attention to nonprofit
An obscure nonprofit corporation today made good on Boston Mayor Thomas Menino's promise to loan $200,000 to the Bay State Banner, a weekly newspaper targeted to the African-American community. The board of […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Florida may bring direct democracy to planning/zoning process
Sun Belt states have long been considered friendly to developers — especially compared with states like Massachusetts, where environmentalists and neighborhood groups often have the power to kill projects outright. […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, The Download
Gains and credit in the state’s tax foundation
The $27.4 billion budget headed for the governor’s desk contains outside sections that would attempt to smooth out the state’s year-to-year budget gyrations and reveal whether the hundreds of millions […]
Posted inEconomy, State House News Service, The Download
Senate wants to hide names of tax credit recipients
Can you have tax credit transparency without identifying who's receiving the tax credits? That's the question facing House and Senate budget negotiators as they try to resolve differences between two […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Galvin sitting on development tax credits
Secretary of State William Galvin is sitting on millions of dollars in tax credits designed to spur the economic development of historic buildings across the state. Despite the severe economic […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
FBI sniffing around Sox stadium deal in Florida?
The Boston Red Sox have sealed a sweet deal with Lee County officials in Florida for a publicly funded spring training complex, including a mini-Fenway, that raised a few eyebrows […]
Posted inEconomy
Banks balk at short sales of underwater homes
with banks bleeding red ink under the weight of massive losses on home loans, you would think lenders would be scrambling for every dollar they can squeeze out of the […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, The Download
On Filene’s hole in the ground, mayor doth protest too much
There's a huge hole in the ground in Downtown Crossing where Filene's once stood and a $700 million redevelopment project isn't getting built, and Mayor Tom Menino isn't happy about […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Dr. Seuss and the Biggering Carbon Footprint
Harvard's Ed Glaeser kicks two Massachusetts icons today in the New York Times. First he says that Springfield native Dr. Seuss had things completely backward in "The Lorax," which so […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Pembroke to use CPA to rid itself of bothersome bog
The town of Pembroke wants to use $200,000 in Community Preservation Act funds toward the purchase of a cranberry bog, reports the Pembroke Express. The use of CPA funds should […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Historic mill on the chopping block in New Bedford
New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang wants to tear down the 187,000-square-foot Fairhaven Mills building, but local preservationists aren't convinced. According to SouthCoastToday.com's Joe Cohen, a developer interested in the site […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, The Download
State tax credits likened to confidential grants
A top Patrick administration official told lawmakers today that a budget provision requiring greater public disclosure by recipients of state tax credits is "the first step in the direction of accountability and transparency." David […]
Posted inEconomy, Environment, The Download
Save the earth, build to the sky
If you care about the environment, stop fighting downtown high-rises. That's the gist of an article in the current issue of City Journal by Harvard professor Edward Glaeser (who wrote about […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, The Download
Patrick wants greater tax credit disclosure
With Massachusetts issuing more and more tax credits to companies, Gov. Deval Patrick is calling for greater public disclosure of who is receiving these benefits and how much good they are doing for the […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Old Boston may have to feel sorry for that punk city in Arizona
Last summer, the Census Bureau admitted that Boston's population is growing (though not as much as the city claims it is). This week, the Arizona Republic reported on signs that […]
Posted inArts and Culture, Economy, The Download
1,000 great places to see before you die – on a budget
Gov. Patrick got into the swing of the recession yesterday, signing a law that costs nothing and will (maybe) make us feel better about not taking the Caribbean vacations we […]
Posted inEconomy, Environment, Politics, The Download
Greenway Conservancy scaling back
With public funding uncertain, the private group preparing to take over management of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway is paring back its budget as well as its ambitious plans for the Big […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Filene’s, World Trade Center projects get clotheslined by recession
Efforts to make Boston's Downtown Crossing into a 24-hour neighborhood got a setback this weekend when the developer of the former Filene's property announced the elimination of 166 condos (and […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, The Download
TIF makes no dif to Chelmsford’s budget woes
Thanks to the recession, cities and towns can no longer count on attracting employers with tax breaks. The Chelmsford Independent reports on the nasty surprise that confronted budget writers in […]
Posted inEconomy, Environment, Politics, The Download
Greenway gets $2 million bailout to prevent “blight”
Seeking to prevent blight in downtown Boston, an economic development agency is plugging a $2 million hole in the budget of a private group about to take over management of the Rose Fitzgerald […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, The Download
Community Preservation Act makes inroads in Bristol County
Wednesday, November 5, 2008 Swansea reverses its 2001 decision and votes to implement the Community Preservation Act by a substantial margin. It’s a notable development because Bristol County and communities […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Plymouth goes Hollywood
After watching a montage of movie clips and hearing video pep talks from actor Casey Affleck and talk-show host Leeza Gibbons, Plymouth town meeting members voted overwhelmingly last night to […]