Seeing great opportunity in the area's US Olympics bid, a Metro Boston planning group said private dollars should fund a substantial amount of infrastructure upgrades, and the state should protect tenants and the homeless from displacement.
Longtime Central Massachusetts residents looking for a dash of nostalgia with their omelet or pizza have a lot to smile about this year. Last fall, Shrewsbury's Edgemere Diner, a classic New England rail car diner that first opened in 1948, reopened under new ownership. And soon, Wonder Bar, the iconic Worcester pizza joint, will do the same.
It was persona non grata when it floated plans to open in Boston in 2012, but Chik-fil-A has had little trouble growing its New England footprint with new locations in MetroWest.
The Framingham Planning Board approved plans last week for the privately-held fast food franchise, to build a restaurant between routes 9 and 30, adjacent to Kohl's. Sandwiched between the two roads in the Shoppers' World plaza, construction is expected to begin this summer with an opening planned for early 2016, according to company spokeswoman Brenda Morrow.