BRIEFING ON ROUTE 30 STUDY & REGIONAL IMPACTS OF SOUTH STATION EXPANSION

On Thursday, Dec. 5th, as part of the Partnership's Institute on Local Issues, our Transportation Committee is holding a briefing on South Station Expansion, presented by Kate Fichter, Manager of Long Range Planning for MassDOT, and on the recently completed Route 30 Arterial Segment Study in Framingham and Natick, presented by Seth Asante, from the Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) for the Boston MPO. 

Space is limited, so registration is required.  To attend this briefing or any other meeting of our Transportation Committee, please email our Deputy Director, Jessica Strunkin at [email protected].

WESTBOROUGH SHUTTLE LAUNCHED ON DECEMBER 2

The Partnership has been assisting the Town of Westborough, the Worcester Regional Transit Authority, the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission, and the Corridor Nine Area Chamber of Commerce with the establishment of a new shuttle connecting Westborough's commuter rail station with Westborough Office Park and other employment centers.  Additional destinations include the Westborough Senior Center, Bay State Commons, and the Westborough Public Library.

This shuttle service launched on Monday, December 2nd, with further information at www.cmrpc.org/westboroshuttle, such as a downloadable schedule and a briefing package for interested employers. 

To learn more about the shuttle and how to support this effort, please contact Jonathan Church, Project Manager at the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission  or by emailing the Partnership's Deputy Director Jessica Strunkin .

RESOURCES ON DECENTRALIZED WASTEWATER & SWMI

On November 7th, as part of the Partnership's Institute on Local Issues, our Water Resources Committee held a briefing on decentralized wastewater systems and smart sewering.

Attendees benefited from presentations by Gerry Preble from Beals + Thomas (and the committee's Private Sector Co-Chair) as well as presentations from Bob Zimmerman from the Charles River Watershed Association and Gino Carlucci from the Town of Sherborn's Planning Department. 

Apart from this briefing, there was a Sustainable Water Management Workshop held by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, with a very informative presentation on SWMI and the Neponset Water Management Act Pilot Project.  

MOBD RESOURCES ON EDIP

On October 8th, the Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD)  held an outreach forum, hosted by the Partnership, to discuss changes to the Commonwealth’s Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP) and to announce a new tool for reviewing Annual Reports. 

The MOBD presentation provides great background on these changes, the implications for municipalities, and the ramifications for participating companies, as well as information on the annual report tool.

If you would like to learn more about EDIP and  connect to the right MOBD Regional Director or staffer, please contact Paul Matthews, the Partnership Executive Director, at [email protected] .
 

STATE DEVELOPMENTS

State Growth Continues: In the third quarter of 2013, the state's gross domestic product outperformed the nation, growing by 3.5% rather than the U.S. rate of 2.8%.  Further details are available online from MassBenchmarks, the journal of the state economy published by the UMass Donahue Institute in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

State Tops Energy Efficiency Ratings:  For the third year in a row, Massachusetts retained the top spot in the State Energy Efficiency Scorecard rankings from the American Council for an Energy Efficiency Economy.

Hiring Training Incentive Grants: Eligible companies and non-profits can apply for $5,000 grants for hiring Massachusetts residents who are veterans or have been unemployed for 6 months or more. Upon approval of the employer’s program application, funds will be released once the new hire has been employed for at least 120 days. Further information is online, including the application and eligibility requirements.

DEC 4 REGIONAL FORUM ON SITE SELECTION:

POSITIONING YOUR COMMUNITY FOR SUCCESS

Marlborough's Forest Park, under development by Atlantic Management

The Partnership has been assisting MassDevelopment with convening a regional forum, Site Selection: Positioning Your Community for Success, on Wednesday, December 4th from 8:30-Noon at EMC's manufacturing facility at 50 Constitution Blvd in Franklin.

All involved with development are welcome to attend this free event, intended to provide case studies and insights on innovative development practices. The program features a number of regional leaders, including:

• Marty Jones, CEO of MassDevelopment
• Site selection experts Brian Cohen from Transwestern | RBJ and Chris Steele from ICA
• EMC representatives discussing their site evaluation process and the selection of Franklin for manufacturing
• Dr. Michael Harrison from Framingham State University, sharing the results of the recent regional employer survey from the Partnership, University, and MetroWest495 BIZ;
• Franklin's Town Administrator Jeff Nutting and Development Director Bryan Taberner on their Pond Street parcel;
• Marlborough's Mayor Arthur Vigeant and City Council President Patricia Pope, with Atlantic Management's Joseph Zink and Riemer and Braunstein's Robert Buckley on Forest Park (pictured above); and
• Mansfield's Town Manager William Ross on Cabot Park.
  

While the event is free, registration is required, so if planning to attend, contact Sherry Corbeil at MassDevelopment via email at [email protected].

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS FORUM WITH THE

MILFORD AREA CHAMBER ON DECEMBER 18

On Wednesday, December 18th at 11:30am in the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston/Milford at 11 Beaver Street in Milford, the Partnership is co-sponsoring a 
Government Affairs Luncheon with the Milford Area Chamber of Commerce.

This luncheon is a recurring event to convene the region's leaders with elected officials from the state legislative delegation and the Congressional delegation. The ensuing discussion provides critical feedback for our elected leaders, while business executives and municipal officials hear firsthand about developments on Capitol Hill and Beacon Hill and how the 495/MetroWest region could be affected in 2014.

More information and event registration is online at www.milfordchamber.org . 

The state's Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development has an ongoing Creative Industries Initiative , led by Helena Fruscio, the state’s Creative Economy Industry Director, who is actively encouraging all regions of the state to form their own Creative Economy Network .

As a result, the Partnership is working with the MetroWest Tourism and Visitors Bureau to put together a coordinated application to form a Creative Economy Network for the 495/MetroWest region.  We would welcome the support and involvement of other regional institutions in this effort, to address issues such as business development, access to capital, visibility, talent, and space.  For further background, Ms. Fruscio's presentation on Creative Economy Networks is available online here, and an overview is below.

If you'd like to participate in this collaborative effort to establish a creative economy network (which would be as simple as offering a short letter of support) please let us know by emailing [email protected] .

Massachusetts defines the creative industries to include without limitation the many interlocking industry sectors that center on providing creative services such as advertising, architecture or creating and promoting intellectual property products such as arts, film, computer games, multimedia, or design. 

• Marketing: Advertising and marketing agencies and professionals

• Architecture: Architecture firms and architects

• Visual Arts + Craft:  Museums, galleries, curators, artists, artisans, and makers

• Design:   Product, interior, graphic, and fashion design firms and designers

• Film + Media:   Film, animation, TV, and radio businesses, organizations, and talent

• Digital Games:   Companies, programmers, and individuals producing games

• Music + Entertainment:  Venues, theatres, producers, and musicians and performers

• Publishing:  Print or electronic businesses and content creator, editors, and writers

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

Marlborough and Forest Park:  Governor Deval Patrick announced a $1.6 Million MassWorks award for roadway, pedestrian, and bikeway improvements along Simarano Drive.

Framingham State University:  Governor Deval Patrick announced an additional $9.3 MIllion in funding to renovate and expand Hemenway Hall into a five story science laboratory.

MA Bay Community College:  Governor Deval Patrick reaffirmed his commitment to make MA Bay Community College's plans to establish a new campus in Framingham a reality.

TechSandBox:  The official ribboncutting of the TechSandBox new expanded facilty on South Street in Hopkinton featured Governor Patrick as part of a joint appearance with the MetroWest Chamber of Comerce to announce state investments in the region.

MetroWest Regional Transit Authority:  The groundbreaking of their new facilty on Blandin Ave in Framingham marks a signficant milestone in the RTA's evolution in providing expanded transit services to the 495/MetroWest region, as well as a public investment in downtown Framingham.

Thanks to our Bronze Investors:

Atlantic Management

Avidia Bank

Beals+Thomas

Building Initiatives LLC

Capaccio Environmental Engineering

Capital Group Properties

Clarke Distribution Corp.

Commonwealth Creative Associates

Dean College

GateHouse Media

Green International Affiliates, Inc.

GZA GeoEnvironmental

The Gutierrez Company

Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare

HNTB

J.M. Coull Inc.

Marlborough Hospital

MassBay Community College

MetroWest Regional Transit Authority

Middlesex Savings Bank

Milford Regional Medical Ctr.

Mirick O'Connell

National Development

Patridge Snow & Hahn, LLP

Richards Barry Joyce & Partners, LLC

St. Mary's Credit Union

Serlin Haley LLP

Small Water Systems Services, LLC

Woodard & Curran

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.

Verizon

Special Thanks to Our Platinum Investors:

Bowditch & Dewey LLP

Carruth Capital LLC              EMC²              IBM

Special Thanks to Our Gold Investors:

Alexander, Aronson, Finning & Co. PC

Bose Corporation      Cisco Systems      

Day Pitney LLP              Genzyme Corp.

NSTAR, a Northeast Utilities Company

Special Thanks to Our Silver Investors:  

Framingham State University 

NAIOP Massachusetts              Patriot Place

Sam Park & Co. Ltd. 

Staples                  Sunovion

   TJX Companies         TransAction Associates

495/MetroWest Partnership

Private Sector CoChair                             Scott Weiss, The Gutierrez Company

Public Sector CoChair                              Glenn Trindade, Town of Medway

Private Sector ViceChair                          Kathleen Freeman, Northeast Utilities

Public Sector ViceChair                           Joseph Nolan, Town of Wayland

Treasurer                                                  Marc Verreault, Carruth Capital

Clerk                                                         Peter Martin, Bowditch & Dewey

Paul Matthews, Executive Director

Jessica Strunkin, Deputy Director