Good morning friends and happy Arbor Day,

We have a jam-packed newsletter this morning, including great news about a long-delayed affordable housing project and two warnings: One about traffic and the second about our looming unemployment insurance crisis.

Mass Pike work expected to clog local streets over two weekends

Brace yourself for major travel delays on the weekends of May 30 and June 20.

Travel on the Mass Turnpike near I-95 will be limited to one lane in each direction on both weekends so MassDOT can replace the bridges at the interchange over the MBTA commuter rail line.

All MBTA commuter rail and Amtrak Lake Shore Limited trains will be replaced by bus service as well.

“Backups on the Mass Pike are expected to be two to three hours with drivers using  a lot of other routes to attempt to avoid the backups,” Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller warned in a statement yesterday, predicting Newton will be the “gridlock epicenter.”

That includes clogging I-95, Routes 9 and 16, Commonwealth Ave, Washington and Beacon Streets, along with other streets wayfinding apps will inevitability send drivers.

Businesses should start planning now for how these disruptions will impact employees, customers and deliveries.

Scheduled Mass Turnpike lane closures: Scheduled Mass Turnpike lane closures: 

• Friday, May 30 at 9 p.m. to Monday, June 2 at 5 a.m.
• Friday, June 20 at 9 p.m. to Monday, June 23 at 5 a.m.

Sign up here for project updates about the Newton-Weston bridge replacement project. 

UI fund is breaking our businesses’ backs

Massachusetts has one of the most generous unemployment insurance programs in the country.

That doesn’t happen by magic.

It’s paid by employers, who finance UI benefits through payroll taxes.

And this week, the state increased our already generous unemployment benefit of 26 weeks to 30 weeks. That’s more than any other state. (Florida, Kentucky, and North Carolina provide only 12 weeks.)

Meanwhile our $730 average weekly benefit was the nation’s highest at the end of last year. And the Tax Foundation says Massachusetts’ unemployment insurance tax rates are the 47th worst.

On top of generous benefits, our employers are currently being taxed through 2028 to cover a $2.7 billion UI debt shelled out during the pandemic. Due next is the $2.1 billion debt owed to the federal government for misallocated funds during the pandemic.

This week’s benefits increase was triggered by a 2023 state law that adds more pressure to the UI fund which is projected to be insolvent by 2028, with a $364 million deficit by 2029,  notes the Globe’s Larry Edelman.

“It’s time to address the elephant in the room: Massachusetts can’t keep papering over the cracks in its unemployment insurance system,” Edelman writes.

And the solution has to include both dipping into the state’s rainy day fund and taking some of the burden off employers by shrinking benefits.

Newton one-ups the state on ADUs

High fives for the Newton City Councilors who voted 18-6 this week to amend the city’s Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance by going beyond the new state law aimed at encouraging ADU production.

The state mandate requires communities to allow 900 SF ADUs by right in single-family zones. The council approved structures up to 1,200 SF (with some restrictions).

Separately, owners can convert a carriage house that has been historically significant and not be subject to the existing building's size, setback, and height limitations.

The Newton Beacon has more.

Here’s what Newton City Councilors should do next

The next thing the councilors should do is read Economic Development Commission Chair Chuck Tanowitz’ op-ed explaining why housing is critical for commercial growth.

Meetings for downtown Needham businesses next week

Needham officials are holding meetings for business owners and commercial property owners on Thursday (May 1) at 8:30 a.m. and at 7 p.m. at Town Hall to discuss the increasingly controversial Envision Needham Center plan, which involves changes to Great Plain Ave. Both meetings will have the same agenda to accommodate attendees’ schedules.

Then on May 13 at 6:30 p.m., the select board will hold a public hearing for Envision Needham.

Needham Observer and Needham Local report on the downtown business owners’ objections to the project.

Watertown Square gets its first new project

A proposal to build five-unit building at at 75 Spring St. in Watertown became the first project submitted as part of the new Watertown Square Area Plan zoning, Watertown News reports.

More proposals are expected, city officials and developers tell us.

Friday grab bag

• Outgoing economic development secretary Yvonne Hao, who steps down next week, will attend our May 14 Spring Business Breakfast after all.  She’ll introduce her interim successor, Ashley Stolba. It’s one of our two signature annual breakfasts and I hope you’ll be there too.
• Striking non-tenured faculty members at Wellesley College are returning to the classroom this morning. (Swellesley Report)
• Newton City Councilor Randy Block blocked his colleagues from approving the Northland Development’s Needham Street project this week (pretty much out of spite, as far as I can figure), pushing the decision back two weeks. (Newton Beacon)
• After a four-month closure for renovations, Captain Marden’s Restaurant in Wellesley reopened this week with a new look, a new menu and old favorites too. (Including their famous corn bread in a new shape.)  Swellesley Report has video and details.
• West on Main, a new Irish and American bar, will replace a Fit-Z’s Bar & Grille on the west side of Watertown (Watertown News).
• Eastern Bank’s parent company plans to acquire Harbor One Bank. Harbor One has 30 locations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island but none in our chamber’s immediate footprint. (BBJ)
• Newton Neighbors hosts a City-Wide Diaper Drive through April 30 to support local families in need. Donations can be dropped off at Family ACCESS of Newton (492 Waltham St.), purchased via Amazon Wish List, or made by monetary contribution to Newton Neighbors, who will buy diapers in bulk at Costco.
• Restaurant operators are invited to a webinar, hosted on immigration compliance covering ICE visit readiness, I-9 basics, employee sponsorship, and a Q&A with HR and immigration experts, Thurs. (May 1), 11 a.m.
• Newton for Everyone presents "housing and climate change" next Weds.(April 30), 7 p.m. at the Scandinavian Living Center, featuring sustainability expert Dan Ruben discussing how strategic development can reduce emissions, preserve green space and support a vibrant community.
• The City of Watertown's first Resilient Watertown Eco Fest is May 10,  11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Commander's Mansion.
• America’s Test Kitchen’s Elle Simone Scott celebrates her latest cookbook “Food Gifts” at Greentail Table in Nonantum, Thurs. (May 1), 6:30 p.m. Tickets include a signed book, live demo and tea sachet gift.
• Add Sean McIntyre to the list of famous Newton North High School alumni. This week he set a new Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon run as a Leprechaun. (Fig City News)

Naturally, our members are among the Best Places to Work

Congratulations to the Charles River Chamber member companies recognized on the BBJ’s 2025 Best Places to Work for creating outstanding workplace cultures that attract and retain top talent.

• Extra small: Baystate Financial, SFP Wealth
• Small: Northwestern Mutual, The Davis Companies, Ligris Associates PC
• Medium: Callahan Construction Managers, Commodore Builders, William James College
• Large: CyberArk
• Extra Large: Bright Horizons

Great news for 295 individuals or families who want to stay or move to Newton

A long delayed and much needed project that will create 295 new homes in Newton is back on track.

Last week, Boylston Properties settled an appeal that had stalled its proposed multi-family development at 78 Crafts Street.

This one is especially noteworthy because every fifth unit—59 in total—will be priced at 50% of the area median income, instead of the 80% AMI more typically used in 40B projects.

This project was approved last year under the state’s Chapter 40B process.

But while 40B allowed the project to bypass the city’s arduous special permit process, it didn’t eliminate the risk of litigation. A single appeal filed by an abutter halted progress for six months.

With the legal challenge now resolved, Boylston Properties can move forward with final design plans, with hopes to break ground around this time next year.

And that’s what you need to know for today — Childcare Professionals Day — unless you need to know that your Starbucks barista isn’t just drawing cute animals on your cup because they think you’re special.

The chamber office will be closed this morning so our team can participate in the Charles River Watershed Association’s annual Charles River Cleanup.

Be back Tuesday.

Greg Reibman (he, him)

President & CEO

Charles River Regional Chamber

617.244.1688

Max Woolf contributed to today’s newsletter.