Good morning friends,

There’s new hope for two stalled housing projects in our communities and bike lanes have been removed from the proposed streetscape redesign project in downtown Needham.

But first, Gov. Maura Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell jointly issued guidance (but not legal advice) this week for employers on a variety of immigration and work authorization matters. Three recent news stories remind us why this matters to so many of our employers right now:

Home health care and its workers

Thousands of health and nursing home workers in Massachusetts have lost, or are at risk of losing, their employment due to the Trump administration terminating their legal status.

This is happening even as there is a growing need for health care and home care workers to support aging seniors, reports Sarah Betancourt at GBH

In Massachusetts, one in four health care workers are immigrants. Forty-six percent of home health aides were foreign-born, even before an influx of immigrants to the state a few years back.

“When they said, ‘You won’t be able to work,’ I’m like, my God. I cried. Because I had a good relationship with the clients and they love me so much. They love me so much because I took good care of them,” one Haitian immigrant who came to the U.S. legally to flee gang violence, told Betancourt.

Jobs no one else wants

In Massachusetts, 22 percent of all jobs are held by immigrants and the Economic Policy Institute projects both immigrants and U.S.-born workers will suffer job losses, particularly in construction and child care, reports the Globe’s Katie Johnston

At least half of Greater Boston’s housekeepers, janitors, painters, taxi drivers, nursing assistants, and cooks were born in another country, according to Boston Indicators.

Recent known losses includes at least 80 immigrant workers who’ve been fired at Logan Airport and nearly 50 foreign-born Market Basket employees. Across the state painters, roofers and drywallers have been arrested. Health care researchers, pizza makers, and hardwood floor installers have been thrown in detention.

Many of the jobs undocumented immigrants hold are ones American workers don’t want because they involve manual labor and low wages, Johnson adds.

Backlogged court cases

Efforts to downsize the federal government and increase immigration arrests are colliding.

Courthouses in Chelmsford and Boston are now the only courts in New England that are used to process immigration cases, reports NPR’s Ximena Bustill

The Chelmsford court is one of most unstaffed in the nation, with only seven judges. down from the 21 intended to serve. Immigration attorneys say cases are being postponed by years — even as far out as 2029. Each laid-off or departing judge leaves about 4,000 cases each for colleagues to pick up.

Let me know if immigration worker policies or enforcement — including in the life sciences, technology, higher ed and other sectors — have impacted your business.

New hope for a new start for Turtle Lane project

Twelve years after the Turtle Lane Playhouse in Auburndale closed its doors, the fenced-in property is headed to the auction block next Thursday.

In 2014, developer Stephen Vona had proposed a mixed-use building with 35 units, a 50-seat restaurant and a restored historic theater, according to Fig City News.

Two years later, the project was reduced to 20 units, office space and the historic theater. But by 2022, it was further cut to 16 units, office and the theater.

But Vona struggled to meet tax obligations, satisfy neighborhood complaints, overcome COVID delays and ultimately received Stop-Work Order from the city because of “significant concerns about the structural integrity of the residential building,” Fig City adds.

It’s a great location in a wonderful village, near shops, a community library and the commuter rail. And the property has since been up-zoned to VC2 as part of the MBTA Communities law process.

Let’s hope a new owner will have more success.

Wellesley developer tries again

I hope to live long enough to one day tell you about a revised project that’s bigger than the original.

But for now, here’s a scaled back four-story multi-family development that’s being re-proposed in Wellesley’s Lower Falls.

Last year, Wellesley’s Town Meeting rejected two housing proposals in Lower Falls from Joe Hassell of Boston Real Estate Capital.

Now, Hassell is back with a scaled-down plan of one of his projects at the Riverside office complex known as Walnut Park. His new proposal calls for 28 units, down from the original 41, each with two to three bedrooms and two parking spaces, according to Bob Brown of The Swellesley Report.(I must say that the photo above doesn’t jive with the size of the project or that part of the Charles, but it’s what’s included in Hassell’s documents.)

The smaller scope means Hassell won’t need Town Meeting approval, only a special permit from the Planning Board, which previously backed the larger version.

So, fingers crossed.

The first public hearing is Sept. 11.

Friday grab bag

• On vacation next week? Both the deadline to vote for our Newton Small Business Peoples’ Choice Awards and to enjoy the early bird discount for Newton Night, Sept. 17 at the West Newton Cinema, are one week from today.
• Massachusetts is, once again ranked the “Best State to Live” based on 51 indicators of livability.
• At least one Watertown City Councilor is boasting that she joined her colleagues to request permanent residential tax relief from the state. Awesome, except let’s not forget that the city’s businesses will make up the difference.
• After about a year testing out recipes from a food truck, Kai Moreto who once operated a Cookies by Design franchise at 54 Highland Ave. in Needham is launching a new cookie business at the same site called Elite Dough Cookies (Needham Local)
• Attorney General Andrea Campbell will host a webinar, Aug. 26 at 11 a.m. for non-profit and charitable organizations, focusing on legal guidance and resources in response to evolving federal policies.
• Brookline officials are preparing for a possible May override. It would be town’s second in three years. (Brookline News)
• Turns out all those people in riot gear at the old West Roxbury High on the VFW Parkway (just over the Newton line) was nothing to be alarmed about. (Universal Hub)
• Devin Alexander, owner of Rolling Releaf in Newton, named to BBJ's 40 under 40 List
• I was really surprised when I took this quiz thinking I knew all I needed to know about mosquitoes.
• Our condolences to Lois Levin, Bike Newton, family and friends on the passing of Helen Rittenberg, 88, a pioneer along many paths in Newton. (Newton Beacon)
• Now that she’s retired, former Needham Town manager Kate Fitzpatrick contemplates life with only one phone in a new blog post.

No bike lanes envisioned along Great Plain Ave.

Needham officials have instructed their consultant team to consider at least three possible roofscape designs for Great Plain Ave in the town’s center:

• A four-lane design that includes compliance measures and upgrades to pavement and curbs.
• Reducing the current four lanes to two full lanes, with pocket turn lanes at all appropriate intersections.
• Reducing the existing four lanes to two full lanes, with no turn lanes, except for a left turn from Chestnut Street onto Great Plain Avenue.

None of the options will include bike lanes and all will “maximize parking,” the two most controversial elements that derailed earlier discussions.

“However, bike lanes can be added and parking can be adjusted in future scenarios to accommodate other features such as shaded areas, storm drain retention areas, outdoor dining or other amenities,” a town statement said.

The three concepts are expected to be ready by mid-September. The select board intends to decide which concept to move forward to a design phase by the end of the year.

Needham Center businesses are encouraged to complete this survey about their commercial deliveries by Wednesday (Aug. 20) to help inform the project.

Meet our 2025 scholarship recipients

Finally, today, four outstanding recent high school graduates are headed off to the next chapter in their lives with scholarships from our chamber.

This year’s recipients are Ciara Bannon (Needham High School), Jamaree Pope (Newton South High School), Jessica Camara (Watertown High School),and Ivan Chan (Wellesley High School).

Learn more about our awardees here. and our judges here.

And that’s what you need to know for today, unless you need to know what Jake Auchincloss does all day, or even over three days.

It’s a great day to dine outside!

Be back Tuesday.

Greg Reibman (he, him)
President & CEO
Charles River Regional Chamber
617.244.1688

Max Woolf contributed to today’s newsletter.