Yearly Archives: 2016

The Massachusetts Association of Realtors® (MAR) reported today that 2016 started where 2015 left off with closed sales continuing to go up on strong buyer demand. Activity in the final months of 2015 pushed closed sales to its highest levels for a month of January since 2004. While single-family closed sales were up, median prices were essentially level compared to the same time last year. Condominium sales also closed up with median prices down almost one percent

The Boston Public Library celebrates the first anniversary of Phase One of the Central Library Renovation this month. It opened its doors to the new second floor of the Johnson building at the Central Library in Copley Square in February 2015. In the past year, 1,290 programs were held at the new Children’s Library and Teen Central, and more than 1.5 million library users visited, checking out over 832,000 items. Phase Two of the $78 million Central Library Renovation is underway now, and is slated to open in summer 2016

Congresswoman Niki Tsongas announced today that Third District communities Fitchburg, Haverhill, Lawrence and Lowell will receive federal Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to support housing rehabilitation, public service projects and local infrastructure

A resident of Fairhaven, Daniel Freitas, the Chief Operator of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Wastewater Treatment Plant, was recently honored with a "2015 Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator of the Year Excellence Award" by the US Environmental Protection Agency’s New England regional office. Mr. Freitas was recognized for having done an outstanding job over the years in operating and maintaining the Massachusetts Maritime Academy’s wastewater treatment facility in Buzzards Bay, Mass.

National mortgage lender and servicer HSBC has agreed to pay $4 million to resolve allegations that it received commissions and other kickbacks relating to force-placed insurance policies that it procured for struggling Massachusetts homeowners, Attorney General Maura Healey announced toda

Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced today that the City has selected Green River as the vendor to create a new Coordinated Access platform to streamline Boston's approach to helping homeless individuals access housing and services. This technology is a key deliverable on the Walsh Administration's Action Plan To End Chronic Homelessness Among Individuals in Boston.

Governor Charlie Baker today visited the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home to tour the facility and swear in Michael F. Case as the new Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Baker was joined by local legislators and visited with residents to discuss the administration’s ongoing commitment to supporting the facility

Four local projects that Rep. Bill Keating advanced with the Army Corps of Engineers have been funded in the Army Corps’ New England District work plan for 2016.  The proposed projects, which are listed below and total over $2.3 million, are located in Marshfield, Duxbury, Plymouth, and Chatham.

With their constituents already paying the highest energy rates in the continental United States, Congressman Joe Kennedy III and Senator Edward J. Markey again raised concerns about costs, specifically ISO-NE’s 10th Forward Capacity Auction (FCA10) and its impact on New England consumers. While the results of FCA10 ensure reliable electricity, Kennedy and Markey continue to call on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to carefully review the results and consider their impact on consumers

State and city partnership with Veolia will explore strategic redevelopment of MassDOT District 6 and steam facility for economic growth, transit-oriented affordable housing and open space

With their constituents already paying the highest energy rates in the continental United States, Congressman Joe Kennedy III and Senator Edward J. Markey again raised concerns about costs, specifically ISO-NE’s 10th Forward Capacity Auction (FCA10) and its impact on New England consumers. While the results of FCA10 ensure reliable electricity, Kennedy and Markey continue to call on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to carefully review the results and consider their impact on consumers.

Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee and chair of the Senate Climate Clearinghouse, released the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled to stay the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan.

Today as part of the Baker-Polito Administration’s “Open for Business” Real Estate Asset Leveraging (REAL) Strategy, Governor Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced a joint state and city venture with Veolia North America to explore the strategic redevelopment of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s (MassDOT) District 6 Headquarters and Veolia facility in downtown Boston.

The Massachusetts Association of Realtors® (MAR) reported today that buyers benefited from a mild-weather month in January to push pending home sales up almost 40 percent from last year. Realtors® confidence in the market was positive again in January. This month’s “Hot Topic” question finds that the majority of listings Realtors® saw in the past six months did not have any “smart home” features, like a thermostat or security system controlled via internet-connected devices.

Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02) applauded President Obama’s proposal to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to support public lands in Massachusetts and across the country. In December 2015, Congressman McGovern joined Republicans and Democrats to pass the bipartisan Omnibus appropriations bill that reauthorized the LWCF for three years to strengthen the conservation efforts it supports.