Good morning friends,

After nearly ten hours of public comment and deliberation over three nights (which followed months of robust community engagement), the Watertown Planning Board and City Council unanimously approved a bold new vision for Watertown Square last night.

The Watertown Square Area Plan positions the area to become a vibrant, multi-modal place to live, work and play.  This is a game changer.

Now comes the hard part.

That includes drafting and passing the zoning outlined in the document in time to meet the city’s end-of-year MBTA Communities Law deadline. 

It also requires designing, testing and finding funding to reconfigure streets and sidewalks, open spaces, bus routes, access to the river and other transformative elements.

Oh and then you need to execute the work without totally shutting down the square — and its businesses (you think Mount Auburn or Arsenal Streets have been tricky?)  — for the many years it will take to move forward.

Done right and it will be worth it.

New ways to pay for the T and buses coming Aug. 1

Beginning two weeks from tomorrow, whenever you hop aboard the Green Line, a bus, or enter any gated subway station, you’ll be able to use the MBTA’s long-delayed contactless payment system.

Charlie Cards and cash will still work. And reduced fare programs will continue. 

But starting Aug. 1, you’ll also be able tap any contactless debit/credit card, phone, or watch connected to a mobile wallet.

All-door boarding is expected to speed up bus and trolley stops since not every passenger will need to enter through the front door of above-ground trolleys.

A second phase, scheduled for next spring, will introduce a new Charlie Card.  A third phase, expected for 2026, would extend contactless payment to the commuter rail.

How Tap to Ride works.

A big loss on Needham Street.

The Stop & Shop at Newton Nexus on Needham Street in Newton is among the 32 the company is planning to close this November.

It’s a big loss for customers on Newton’s south side, as well as for the future tenants in the hundreds of new apartments Northland is building next door and across the street. 

Northlands’ 800 units along Needham Street and 370 units on Charlemont Street  are still an estimated three years away from welcoming its first residents. So there’s plenty of time to to find a replacement at the Crosspoint-owned plaza, or perhaps on the Northland property itself.

State rep hopefuls get down to business

Thanks to Patrick Gatto, Ken Ruetenik and Josh Tarsky, the three Democrats competing in the Sept. 3 primary to fill state Rep. Denise Garlick’s 13th Norfolk seat (covering Needham, Dover and part of Medfield) for participating in yesterday’s candidate's forum on economic development issues. Watch that video here.

Up tomorrow (Thurs) at 10 a.m. will be my virtual conversation with Rick Lipof, Bill Humphrey and Greg Schwartz . They’re competing for the 12th Middlesex seat (including part of Newton and a small part of Brookline)  currently held by Rep. Ruth Balser. Register to watch that  here.

In the 11th Middlesex (covering part of Newton) Amy Sangiolo and Alexander Jablon will debate, July 31 at noon. 

Today’s grab bag

• Wellesley's culinary scene heats up this week with Friday’s opening of Dryft in Linden Square, showcasing seafood and homemade pasta. Pho Station at 352 Washington St., serving authentic Vietnamese cuisine opened earlier this week, so did Popovers at Church Square. (Swellesley Report)
  
  
• Eastern Bank’s merger with Cambridge Trust, has been completed, creating the state’s largest bank-owned independent investment advisory firm.  (BBJ)
  
  
• One of my favorite annual Newton events, the St. Mary of Carmen Festival kicks off tonight (Weds) in Nonantum. Head to Pellegrini Park/Hawthorn Street for rides, music, food and more. The 89th annual Italian-American celebration runs through Sunday (July 21), concluding with a candlelight procession at 10 p.m. Details.
  
  
• Oops. I had the wrong date last week for Wellesley’s Annual July Jubilation Sidewalk Sale. It’s this Saturday,  9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., along Central Street, Washington Street and Church Square. Details.
  
  
• Natick will be exploring design options for its MBTA communities plan based around West Natick. The conversation takes place at the Community Senior Center at 6 p.m. July 28.
  
  
• Deland, Gibson Insurance Associates of Wellesley has acquired Worcester-based Atchue Insurance Agency (Swellesley Report)
  
  
• The first Panera to Go store in Massachusetts — and the second anywhere — has opened at 11 Mount Auburn St in Watertown. The business accepts orders only online or by kiosk. It doesn’t have in-house seating. (BBJ)
  
  
• Newton native Kayla Burton has just joined the team at NBC Sports Boston as a multiplatform host and reporter. She’s the daughter of longtime Ch. 4 sports anchor Steve Burton and the granddaughter of the late Ron Burton, the first player ever drafted by the Patriots. (Boston Globe).
  
  
• The Healey-Driscoll Administration's Inter-Agency Task Force on Child Care will hold a dozen regional listening sessions (both in-person and virtual) through Aug. 6 in efforts to shape the state's affordable child care approach. The Office of Economic Development Secretary hosts a virtual session for MA employers on Wed. July 24, 4-5:30 p.m.
  
  
• Tickets went on sale yesterday for our annual Summer Celebration on the border of Newton and Watertown at the iconic Community Rowing, Inc.  Don’t tell anyone I told you, but if you use the promo code “summer” when registering right now you’ll save $10.  See you there!
  
  

Lab leasing at low

Lab leasing in Greater Boston declined to the lowest level since the pandemic as life science companies shied away from real estate commitments in a frugal funding climate, reports Steve Adams at Banker & Tradesman.

The 505,000 SF of lab space leased in Q2 was the lowest total since the same period in 2020, CBRE reported.

But Adams notes that established suburban life science markets in Waltham and Lexington are faring comparatively better. 

Don’t log on there, until you read this

Finally, today marks day two of Prime Day, Amazon’s annual two-day deep discount event.

• Yes, there’s some good deals to be had — although they’re not always as good as the public has been led to believe.
  
  
• Yes, it’s remarkably convenient – unless you take into account the collective cost Amazon’s dramatically undercounted environmental impact, plus all those trucks clogging our streets.

Undisputed is the harm Amazon has done to our local merchants as well as to independent merchants that sell their products there (or absorb the cost of scam returns) 

Amazon now keeps an average of 30% of every sale made by independent businesses on its platform, up from 19% in 2014.

Before you shop there, consider shopping here. (Massachusetts tax free weekend is Aug 10 and 11.)

Consider the alternatives that keep our economy vibrant and fair, including the businesses in our chamber communities.  

When you do shop online, try buying directly from merchants on their own independent sites.  See our Hierarchy of Shopping graphic for a helpful guideline.

One behalf of all our independent retailers and all local property tax paying businesses, thank you for keeping your dollars local.

That’s what you need to know for today, unless, on National Hot Dog Day, you need to know why they stopped making Cool Dogs, The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri's favorite ice cream treat.

You stay cool too, okay? Be back Friday.  Way to go Jarren Duran!

Greg Reibman (he, him)

President & CEO

Charles River Regional Chamber

617.244.1688

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