COMING UP ON THIS WEEK’S PBN METROWEST BUSINESS REPORT COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN FRAMINGHAM COLLABORATE , CHANGES ARE IN THE WORKS FOR NATICK RETAIL, MASS DOT WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU AND THE BUY LOCAL MOVEMENT GETS SOME HELP. THESE STORIES AND MORE ON THE PROACTIVE BUSINESS NETWORK’S WEEKLY BUSINESS REPORT.
HI EVERYONE, I’M CHRISTINE HACHEM AND THIS IS THE PBN BUSINESS REPORT.
FRAMINGHAM HAS BEEN AWARDED AN INAUGRAL URBAN AGENDA GRANT OF ONE HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE BAKER POLITO ADMINISTRATION CREATED THE GRANT TO HELP PROVIDE LOCAL ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES WITH MICRO LOANS TO LOW AND MODERATE INCOME TOWN RESIDENTS STARTING BUSINESSES. THE FOCUS WILL BE ON COMMUNITY BUILDING AND COLLABORATION. FRAMINGHAM IS AN IDEAL CANDIDATE GIVEN THE BROAD ALLIANCE OF ELEVEN COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT ARE LENDING THEIR SUPPORT TO THE INITIATIVE. THE SOUTH MIDDLESEX OPPORTUNITY COUNCIL WILL ADMINISTER THE GRANT WITH COLLABORATION FROM GROUPS SUCH AS FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY, THE METROWEST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, MASS BAY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, THE BRAZIL NEW ENGLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND, THE TOWN OF FRAMINGHAM. THIS IS ONE OF THIRTEEN GRANTS MADE STATEWIDE FOR A TOTAL OF THREE MILLION DOLLARS.
THE 9 27 PLAZA IN NATICK MAY SOON BE TRANSFORMED. THE PLAZA OWNERS HOPE TO RENOVATE THE LARGE VACANT SPACE LEFT BY THE CLOSURE OF LONGTIME TENANT BUILDING 19. THEIR PLANS CALL FOR ADDING RESTAURANTS, SHOPS AND MEDICAL OFFICE SPACE. THERE WOULD ALSO BE A NEW HEALTH AND FITNESS CENTER AND EXPANDED PARKING AND UPDATED LANDSCAPING. A GOAL WOULD BE TO IMPROVE THE ENTRY AND EXIT TO THE PLAZA. THE NATICK PLANNING BOARD IS SCHEDULED TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROJECT AT 7:30 P.M. JAN. 20 AT TOWN HALL.
MASSACHUSETTS BUSINESSES AFFECTED BY MASSDOT REGULATIONS IN ANY MANNER ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND ONE OF THE LISTENING SESSIONS MANDATED BY GOVERNOR BAKER. THERE WILL BE ONE ON TUESDAY THE NINETEENTH FROM 2:00 TO 4:00 PM AT NEVINS HALL IN FRAMINGHAM. FOR QUESTIONS REGARDING MASSDOT LISTENING SESSIONS PLEASE CONTACT MICHELLE LAVOIE, DEPUTY LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR, AT MICHELLE dot LAVOIE AT DOT dot STATE dot MA dot US
CENTRAL MASS GROWN, A NON PROFIT GROUP THAT WORKS TO PROMOTE LOCAL AGRICULTURE, IS THE RECIPIENT OF A FIFTY NINE THOUSAND DOLLAR GRANT FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. THE AWARD IS TO HELP THE GROUP WITH MARKETING EFFORTS AND TO ATTRACT MORE MEMBERS. CENTRAL MASS GROWN ENCOURAGES CONSUMERS TO BUY LOCALLY SOURCED FOOD ITEMS AND COUNTS MANY AREA FARMS, NURSERIES, RESTAURANTS AND RETAILERS AS MEMBERS. HEADQUARTERED IN WORCESTER, THEY HAVE BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR ONLY ONE YEAR BUT THEY HAVE MANY EVENTS PLANNED FOR THE COMING YEAR. SEE THEM AT WORCESTERS BEST CHEF EVENT ON JANUARY THIRTY FIRST AT MECHANICS HALL. ANOTHER LOCAL NON PROFIT, NORTHEAST HARVEST, RECEIVED FIFTY ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS TO PROMOTE AGRICULTURE, AQUACULTURE, AND FARMERS MARKETS IN ESSEX AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES. SEE THEIR WEBSITES FOR EVENTS AND EVEN RECIPES: CENTRAL MASS GROWN dot ORG AND NORTHEAST HARVEST dot COM.
THAT’S THE PBN BUSINESS REPORT FOR THIS WEEK. FOR THE PROACTIVE BUSINESS NETWORK, I’M CHRISTINE HACHEM.
