April 9. 2026

Good morning,

Max Woolf here.

Spring Seasonings is just three days away! This Monday (April 13) is your chance to sample the very best dishes and drinks from across our region, with more than 40 local chefs participating.

Tickets are limited and going fast, so grab yours now. Trust me, you don't want to wait till next year.

Bulfinch returns with new vision for Muzi site

The long-stalled redevelopment of the former Muzi Motors site in Needham is moving forward — this time with close to 500 much-needed homes.

Tuesday night, The Bulfinch Companies’ President Robert Schlager discussed his new proposal to the Needham Planning Board to construct a large mixed-use development right off of I-95.

What was once envisioned as a cutting-edge life science campus is now another casualty of the region's lab market downturn. The loss of that vision is disappointing, but the pivot may ultimately better serve one of the region’s most urgent challenges: housing.

The current conceptual plan calls for up to 480 residential units—age-restricted to those 55 and older—alongside 100,000 SF of medical office space, 10,000 SF of retail, and 1,000 parking spots.

The hundreds of new homes and neighborhood-serving retail would finally bring this long-dormant site in Needham Heights back to life.

Peter O'Neil of the Needham Observer reports that the entire Planning Board is behind the new vision. While a strong sign, Bulfinch will still need to convince Town Meeting to grant the zoning change required to move the project forward.

Bulfinch hopes to bring that change before Town Meeting this fall.

Here’s how much property taxes could go up in Brookline

The Town of Brookline has published an online calculator that will allow commercial and residential property owners to determine how much their property taxes will increase if the May 5 override passes.

Check Brookline.News’ great FAQ page for more on the override.

Wellesley votes to eliminate housing tool

Earlier this week, Wellesley Town Meeting was asked to limit a tool that allows for more multifamily housing. 

It chose to kill it instead.

The tool is known as the RIO bylaw — Residential Incentive Overlay. While the bylaw is complicated, in recent years it has become a vehicle to bring smaller, more moderately priced homes to a town where that kind of housing is in short supply.

Despite its benefits, Town Meeting was set to vote on restricting the RIO from single-family neighborhoods. Instead, members voted 148-52 to repeal it across the board. Opponents — and there were many — decried the RIO as a blunt instrument, questioning the openness of the public process and the need to build more housing at all.

But the vote also offered a glimmer of hope, providing a rare platform for those willing to say out loud that Wellesley needs to grow.

That included Town Meeting member Jeff Wexler, who was among those imploring fellow members to stop looking backward. (2:51:09)

"We need to grow this town because we need a strong community of people we can all call our neighbors," he said.

Wexler noted that many in the room grew up in Wellesley and came back — he then asked, "How are my kids going to have that option?"

Other speakers pointed to declining school enrollment, arguing that new housing could stem further consolidations.

We commend Select Board member Collette Aufranc and Chair Marjorie Freiman for joining them in voting against eliminating RIO.

But Wellesley should be wary of who is listening. In recent years, the state has increasingly been leaning hard on communities to build more housing. With this decision from Wellesley to build less, will Beacon Hill take notice?

Friday Grab Bag

• Wellesley State Rep. Alice Peisch is the original author behind a bill just passed by the House that would ban cell phones in public schools and prohibit kids under 14-years-old from using social media altogether.
  
  
• Second Step, Inc. will hold Celebrating Success, an evening benefiting survivors of domestic violence, on Thurs. May 7 (7 p.m.) at Brae Burn Country Club in Newton. The event supports Second Step's mission of providing services to domestic violence survivors, with donations and ticket purchases available through the event page.
  
  
• Service Stars, the Chamber's 2025 Nonprofit Rising Star, will host Sip & Serve, a free hands-on evening of community service and connection, on Wed. Apr. 15 (7–9 p.m.) at Tempo in Waltham. Attendees will create Mother's Day baskets for The Wish Project while enjoying small bites and a cash bar, with donated items also welcome.
  
  
• Clover Food Lab is preparing to close all of its locations, including one at the TRIO complex in Newtonville, by May 29 unless a buyer steps forward. (Boston.com)
  
  
• Attorney General Campbell has intervened in a lawsuit challenging Cambridge’s high inclusionary zoning requirement. Campbell can now participate directly in defending the city’s policy as the case proceeds. (Harvard Crimson)
  
  
• The Newton Fair and Affordable Housing Partnership will present the annual Sheila Mondshein Award to Jini Fairley and Josephine McNeil on April 23, 2 p.m. at Newton City Hall, honoring their leadership in promoting fair housing.
  
  
• M&T Bank is expanding its presence statewide, with plans to hire 60 to 75 additional employees over the next two to three years just in Boston. (BBJ)
  
  
• The John M. Barry Boys & Girls Club of Newton will host its 29th Annual Gala on Fri. May 1 (6–10 p.m.) at the Boston Marriott Newton, featuring a cocktail reception, dinner, silent and live auctions, and dancing with live music by King of Hearts.
  
  
• Congressman Jake Auchincloss is inviting high school students (grades 9–12) to submit original 2D artwork — paintings, photography, mixed media, and more — to the 2026 Congressional Art Competition by April 17; the winner's piece will hang in the U.S. Capitol for a year. The reception is May 2, 10:30 a.m. at the Attleboro Arts Museum.
  
  
• Steve Adams of Banker & Tradesman has a great profile on LabShares CEO Philip Borden, whose biotech coworking company operates in both Newton and Watertown. Borden recently spoke on a panel at our event, explaining Watertown’s life science success story. Watch here.
  
  
• Watertown has released its draft plan to redevelop a parking lot in Watertown Square into a parking garage and housing using a public-private partnership. Earlier this week, we reported on City Manager George Proakis’ introduction to the plan.

MassBay leans into apprenticeships

MassBay Community College, along with six other community colleges, is expanding its apprenticeship degree offerings.

But what exactly is an apprenticeship? When most people hear the term, they think trades—construction, electricians, plumbers. However, that model is now expanding into fields like healthcare and financial services.

At its core, an apprenticeship combines paid, on-the-job training with classroom learning—letting students earn while they learn with a clear onramp to a full-time position.

MassBay is leaning into that shift. The college already has 33 students in its Behavioral Health program and will expand into Medical Assisting this summer and Extended CNA programs in fall 2026.

“Healthcare is a growing sector that requires well-trained professionals,” said President David Podell, noting the college’s focus on preparing the workforce to meet that demand.

This is all part of a broader statewide push, with Gov. Maura Healey aiming to register 100,000 apprentices by 2036.

For healthcare employers looking to grow their workforce, reach out to apprenticeships@massbay.edu. 

Turtle Lane moves slowly

Since the Turtle Lane Playhouse Theater closed in 2013, plans to redevelop the site into a mixed-use project have repeatedly run into trouble.

Now, after 12 years of tax issues, inspectional violations, and even a declaration of bankruptcy, a judge has allowed a third-party trustee to take control of the property, Mayor Laredo announced in his newsletter.

Tasked with determining the site’s best future use, the trustee will work with the city as the process moves forward — likely ending in a sale of the property.

Currently, the Turtle Lane site sits vacant, fenced in and only partially constructed.

That’s what you need to know for today, unless you need to know that the Vikings sailed up the Charles River…or did they?

Max Woolf (he, him)

Public Policy and Government Affairs Manager

Charles River Regional Chamber

617-431-6101

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