Good morning,

Over the past decade, Austin has broken ground on 140 homes for every 1,000 households.  

Compare that to only 22 in San Francisco, 23 in New York and 27 in greater Boston.

Meanwhile, although Austin’s population has grown, home prices there have dropped 13%.

That’s according to a fascinating New York Times interactive editorial (gift link), which uses some very cool charts to explain how we got here.

Even better, the Times offers a fix that can be broken down to just two steps:

• Loosen zoning laws to allow more multifamily homes.
• Make it easier to build where it’s already legal.

Yes, friends, it’s that simple. And that hard.

And here’s proof that it works

Here’s the good news: Doing just as the Times editors suggest — loosening zoning and making building easier — is already showing results in our Charles River Regional Chamber footprint and across the region, thanks to the MBTA Communities Act.

• In Newtonville, developer Bruce Wheeler won approval in just one meeting to convert the historic Swedenborgian church into six condominiums, while adding 20 more units on the adjacent lot.  (Rendering above.)
  
  
• In Wellesley Hills, Babson House LLC’s 28-unit condo proposal became the first project approved under the town’s MBTA-C zoning. Instead of navigating multiple boards and Town Meeting, the project went solely before the ZBA and secured approval after three meetings
  
  
• Torrington Properties’ 40-units MBTA-C project in Watertown Square was also approved after one meeting.
  
  
• Even Greystars’ 189 home project in Needham Heights, which just broke ground, took just four months for approval.  

Contrast that with Northland's Needham Street project. In the works since 2016, it spent 16 months before the City Council before winning approval in 2019 — upheld by voters in 2020 — then returned for amendments approved in 2025.  Only now is Northland topping off its first building, with 315 apartments expected late next year.

Sure, bigger projects take more time. But 11 years?

We’ll need many more large and small projects to compete for jobs in Austin and to keep our workforce from moving away.

We should preserve, not repeal, MBTA-C. Passing the Starter Homes ballot question this fall is another reform that would help.

What must not pass? Rent control. That would be devastating.

Five chamber-area leaders honored for hospitality influence

Get Konnected has released its 50 Most Influential People of Color and Allies in Hospitality and Tourism, recognizing rising stars and longtime leaders across the industry.

The BBJ has the full list. Local honorees include:

• Douglass Williams, chef/owner, MIDA (Newton)
• Albie Alvarez-Cote, owner, Che! Empanadas (Newton)
• Manita Bunnagitkarn, owner/chef, Cha Yen Thai Cookery and Boxfish (Watertown)
• Darryl Settles, CEO, Catalyst Ventures (Newton)
• Karen Masterson, co-owner, Johnny’s Luncheonette and Cabot’s Ice Cream & Restaurant (Newton)

Data privacy bill could handicap your business

The Massachusetts House could soon debate data privacy legislation that would make it harder — and more expensive — for businesses to reach their own customers.

The bills in question,  H.4746 and S.2516, would severely restrict the data that powers digital marketing. Over 20 other states, including all of our neighbors, would still have access to tools that Massachusetts businesses would lose.

That's not consumer protection. That's a competitive disadvantage.

And it's not just for-profit businesses. Nonprofits would face the same restrictions, making it harder to reach donors and patrons.

Employers of all sizes can share their concerns with lawmakers by adding their name to this letter, using this form, by Friday (May 22).  More than 100 businesses have signed so far.

Tuesday grab bag

• Headed to Logan? You can now access real-time TSA wait times online before heading to the airport.  Or skip any line in Boston with the new first-in-the-nation remote screening in Framingham.
  
  
• Nominations are open through May 29 for the 2026  our first annual Brookline Business Awards. Honorees will be recognized at Brookline Night on June 24.
  
  
• Boston lost more than 1,300 residents last year, while Newton was among the gainers (+742). Watertown (-62) saw its population drop slightly. (BBJ)
  
  
• Thanks to Bruce Henderson at Fig City News for his recap of the discussion between four outstanding nonprofit leaders about the challenges to the safety net at our Spring Business Breakfast last week.
  
  
• A Needham developer is seeking federal approval to build tidal-powered, underwater artificial intelligence data centers off the coast of Maine or Alaska. (Needham Observer)
  
  
• ICE agents reportedly threatened to handcuff a bystander filming agents shoving a man into a vehicle in Chestnut Hill last week.  (Brookline.News)
  
  
• The SBA has launched a $50 million grant program to provide training and technical assistance for small manufacturers. (BBJ)|
  
  
• Here’s Tin Rabbit proprietor Hilary Chandler on her decision to close her gift shop and art space after eight years in Needham Center. “Done the COVID thing. I’ve done the tariff thing. There’s been some challenges, but it’s been challenging for all of us in these small towns,” she tells Needham Local.
  
  
• Stantec consultants will present its recommendations for updates to Needham's parking ordinance and zoning tonight (May 19), 7:30 p.m., in person at Town Hall or by Zoom.

Watertown Square businesses should be following this

Watertown is moving toward redeveloping the large parking lots behind CVS and other Main Street businesses.

City Manager George Proakis recently floated a public-private partnership: a parking garage with ground-floor retail, market-rate housing and public space.  Tax revenue from the housing would help fund the garage and public space.

Proakis stressed nothing is decided (the City Council gets the final say), but Hg80 Real Estate is already in talks with the city and area property owners.

As intriguing as it sounds, the project could be challenging for businesses that depend on parking during years of construction. There’d also be some required land takings. Meanwhile, developers looking for a shot at the project are wondering if Hg80 is a lock.

There's a 163-page deep dive for the ambitious, and a short explainer from WCA-TV for everyone else.

Tomorrow (Wed.) from 3 to 8 p.m., the city hosts an open house at 9 Galen Street. Drop in, ask questions, share input.

Women's Conference is back. Bigger, stronger yet still intimate

Our inaugural Women's Conference last year exceeded all expectations.  Attendees left energized and connected — and immediately asked us to make it annual.

We listened.

On June 12 at Lasell University, we're back — bigger but still intimate, with a stronger program focused on navigating change, building resilience and strengthening community.

The day opens with a keynote from Roseanna Means, founder of Healthcare Without Walls, which has delivered primary care to homeless women in Greater Boston for more than 30 years.

Breakout sessions follow on change management, leadership, AI, goal setting and more. The afternoon closes with a panel on women's leadership in sports.

Space is limited by design. Register now.

That’s what you need to know for today, unless someone tells you to pound sand and you need to know what it looks like up close.

Be extra-kind to people working outside, in kitchens or anywhere else without air conditioning today.

See you on Friday.

Greg Reibman (he, him)

President & CEO

Charles River Regional Chamber

617.244.1688

Max Woolf contributed to today’s newsletter.