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August 21,2023

Tainted: Regulators eye changes as Central Mass. cannabis testing firms say unclear rules are potentially putting unsafe marijuana products on the shelves

Isabel Tehan

Companies are sounding the alarm on the state’s inconsistent product safety testing standards.

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    Clark University seeks to demolish entire Main South block for large student housing complex

    Timothy Doyle and Brad Kane

    In order to build a mixed-use, 508-bed student housing complex by 2026, Clark University in Worcester plans to demolish and rebuild an entire block of Main Street in the Main South neighborhood in 2024, including three historic structures and a number of businesses.

  • Advice
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    Advice

    Nurturing America’s superpower

    Bonnie J. Walker

    The focus of the work performed by DEI professionals may seem very simple on a superficial level, but the work is not.

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    Advice

    10 Things I know about ... Pub brewery conversions

    Mark Borenstein

    Massachusetts farmer breweries are often looking for new ways to increase their appeal to customers. One option is to convert their farmer brewery license to a pub brewery license to provide more alcoholic beverage options in their taprooms.

  • Advice
    Advice

    101: Tackling competition

    Susan Shalhoub

    Here are ways to tackle the three main forms of competition.

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    Advice

    SECURE Act 2.0 and its impact on retirement accounts

    Nicholas J. Colantuono

    In response to financial burdens resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, subsequent layoffs, and an upsurge in early retirements, the Internal Revenue Service signed into law the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act 2.0 late last year.

  • Editorial
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    Editorial

    From the Editor: The 40 Under Forty awards have been postponed

    Brad Kane

    Originally slated to be announced in this Aug. 21 edition of WBJ followed by a Sept. 13 ceremony, everything is being pushed to still unspecified dates.

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    Opinion

    Viewpoint: Raising businesses and communities higher: The value of nonprofit board service

    Katherine Garrahan

    When businesses are looking for new ways to grow, an effective – and often overlooked – strategy is to help a local nonprofit organization by having employees participate as board members.

  • Editorial
    Editorial

    Editorial: Maternity care needs more than just an angry coalition

    These are signs our healthcare system, from national to local, is falling apart. We need a strong coalition of business, community, and political leaders to tackle the many problems causing this threatening level of strain.

  • Opinion
    Opinion

    A Thousand Words: Leominster maternity closure proposal

    Ramón L. Sandoval

    In response to UMass Memorial Health's plan to closure the maternity ward at HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital in Leominster, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has determined maternity care in the region is an essential service, and UMass Memorial has to come up with plans on how to help those impacted by the closure.

  • Movers & Shakers
    Movers & Shakers

    Movers & Shakers for Aug. 21, 2023

    A number of local companies have announced new hires and promotions, including bankHometown in Oxford, SALMON Health and Retirement in Milford, NAI Glickman Kovago & Jacobs in Worcester, and Rollstone Bank & Trust in Fitchburg

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Today's Poll

Should Massachusetts significantly reduce the environmental review time for new housing projects?
Poll Description

In an effort to increase the pace of new housing development in Massachusetts, Gov. Maura Healey has proposed streamlining the environmental review process for certain new housing projects, with the goal of reducing the time spent on the process from about one year to 30 days. Environmental reviews are a hallmark of community planning, to ensure new development doesn't negatively impact surrounding properties or natural resources, even though the process does add significant time and often cost to projects. Healey's proposal comes after Massachusetts fell behind the national average in new housing production, despite adding 90,000 new units since she became governor in 2023.

New England already averages the longest timeline in the nation to build a single-family home once the developer has been giving the authorization to move forward with construction, according to U.S. Census statistics compiled by the National Association of Home Builders. In 2023, single-family homes in New England averaged 13.9 months from permit to completion. The South Atlantic states have the lowest average of 8.9 months while the region that includes Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana is the second quickest at 9.4 months. The second-longest average after New England is the New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania region, which takes 13.2 months.

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