ABG Commercial Real Estate Blog
Local Boston & Cambridge Commercial Real Estate News from Industry Experts.
Yellen Sees Solid Growth, Possible ‘Soft Landing’ for U.S. Economy
By Christopher Condon via Bloomberg News (Bloomberg) -- Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she expects solid growth in the coming year, with a possible “soft landing” for the economy as the Federal Reserve moves to bring down inflation. “I do believe we’re going to...
Boynton Yards Celebrates Opening of First Purpose-Built Life Sciences Lab in Somerville
By Boston Real Estate Times Somerville, MA – The development venture of DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners (DLJ), Leggat McCall Properties (LMP) and Deutsche Finance America (DFA) joined the City of Somerville and Flagship Pioneering companies to cut the opening ribbon...
Formlabs To Announce New 3D Printing Materials at RAPID on 5/17
Devan West via MCADCafe Ideal for producing tough, durable and long-lasting 3D printed parts, these polyurethane resins are the latest innovative materials available for Formlabs’ SLA printers Somerville, MA - May 17, 2022 – Formlabs, the leading 3D printing company,...
In Malden, a diverse city strives to be ‘a place for everyone’
By Janelle Nanos and Tim Logan via The Boston Globe Nearly half of residents in the blue-collar town are foreign-born. But for years, these groups have been largely locked out of city politics and services. MALDEN — Malden Mayor Gary Christenson has a catchphrase: His...
If Roe v. Wade Is Overturned, Abortion Laws Will Be A Site-Selection Weapon, CRE Experts Say
by Jarred Schenke via Bisnow with reporting by Olivia Lueckemeyer In the wake of the revelation that the Supreme Court appears poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, large companies considering where to place a new office or lab could soon be forced to choose between states...
Octopus-Inspired Robots: Silicone Skin Can Change Texture for “3-D Camouflage”
by Dan Robitzski via Scientific American via Live Science Researchers have created a synthetic form of octopus skin that can transform from a flat, 2D surface to a three-dimensional one with bumps and pits In a flash, an octopus can make like ragged-edged seaweed or...
The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Boston’s Economy in 2021
by Boston Planning & Development Agency, Research Division. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting business closures caused a sudden unprecedented spike in unemployment in Boston as in much of the country. Boston’s unemployment rate peaked in June 2020 at 16.1...
Boston’s Life Sciences Industry and Commercial Real Estate
by Boston Planning & Development Agency, Research Division. Driven in part by the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for biomedical research has strengthened growth trends in the life science industry in Boston, impacting both real estate and employment. According to...
Does Increased Leasing Activity Signal Recovery for Retail Sector?
by Jenn Elliot / via WealthManagement.com Retail properties of all types, from grocery-anchored centers to enclosed super regional malls, have experienced a burst of leasing activity over the past 12 to 18 months. And even the most pessimistic real estate experts...
The End of Zero: Prepare for a World With Higher Rates
Inflation and tight job markets are forcing the hands of central banks to end an era of ultra-low interest rates. The results will be profound. by Justin Lahart / via The Wall Street Journal Warren Buffett has compared interest rates to gravity. That is an especially...
If Roe v. Wade Is Overturned, Abortion Laws Will Be A Site-Selection Weapon, CRE Experts Say
by Jarred Schenke / via Bisnow In the wake of the revelation that the Supreme Court appears poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, large companies considering where to place a new office or lab could soon be forced to choose between states where abortion is legal and where...
Baker Outlines $9.7B Transpo Plan for Fed Infrastructure Aid
by Chris Lisinski / via Banker & Tradesman Efforts to replace the MBTA’s entire Green Line trolley fleet, a statewide move toward electric vehicle adoption, and projects to make infrastructure more resilient in the face of climate change impacts would all get a...
Immigration and America’s Aging ‘Time Bomb’
New research from the Penn Wharton Budget Model finds that increasing legal immigration in the U.S. leads to long-term fiscal benefits, while policies that legalize unauthorized immigrants increase government debt. Anew research model from the Penn Wharton Budget...
Natalie Portman, Shark Tank’s Chris Sacca invest in Boston foodtech
by Hannah Green / via The Business Journals Just over a year after launching, food technology startup Tender Food has raised a seed funding round to bring its products to market. Tender, which goes by the legal name of Boston Meats Inc., is planting its flag in the...
Focus Turns to Rebuilding Main Streets
Wu Puts ARPA Funding toward Rent Rebates By Steve Adams / via Banker & Tradesman Staff Side effects of COVID on Boston’s neighborhood business districts included rising turnover and shuttered landmarks, resulting in some of the highest retail vacancies in the...
5 biotech startups selected for new MassBio accelerator
by Lucia Maffei / via The Business Journals Two biotech startups from the Bay State, two from Canada and one from California will take part in MassBio's first installment of its accelerator program MassBioDrive, culminating in an in-person Demo Day and cash stipends...
Battery Ventures raises over $3.5B for two funds, documents show
A couple of years after scoring its biggest fundraising amount to date, Boston-based Battery Ventures is raising even more billions for two separate funds, regulatory documents show. Battery Ventures, a tech investment firm in the Seaport District known for...
Massachusetts Leads Global Life Sciences Industry
via Boston Real Estate Times CAMBRIDGE, MA–The Life Sciences industry is growing rapidly all over the world, especially since the COVID-19 Pandemic started. The state of Massachusetts has been leading the way for the past decade, throughout not only the country, but...
Biden Signs Order on Cryptocurrency as Its Use Explodes
by Fatima Hussein / via Bankers & Tradesman President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order on government oversight of cryptocurrency that urges the Federal Reserve to explore whether the central bank should jump in and create its own digital currency....
Housing Expands Redevelopment Plans at WBZ Property
by Steve Adams / via Banker & Tradesman Responding to requests from local elected officials, developers are adding 85 housing units to a proposed redevelopment of WBZ-TV’s Allston studios. The changes expand the proposed 1170-1190 Soldiers Field Road development...
Brands and retailers are giving their fitting rooms a high-tech upgrade
by Maile McCann / via modernretail.co Apparel brands and retailers are investing in high-tech fitting rooms in their brick-and-mortar stores. 2021 was the year of the virtual fitting room: Walmart, Shopify, Amazon and Snap all invested in augmented or virtual reality...