Northbridge

While Beacon Hill searches for solutions to the serious housing shortage that fuels affordability concerns in Massachusetts, a real estate industry organization wants to see the Community Preservation Act program retrofitted to put a greater emphasis on housing production.

The Town of Northbridge purchased the 96.7-acre Castle Hill Farm property in that town on Friday for $1.45 million, according to the Worcester District Registry of Deeds.

The Massachusetts Cultural Council granted $2,500 each to 69 Central Massachusetts organizations as part of $1.85 million doled out statewide in 2023 Festival Grants Projects.

EyePoint Pharmaceuticals has selected Hopkinton-based Gorman Richardson Lewis Architects to design its 40,000-square-foot facility.

Watertown-based EyePoint Pharmaceuticals will design and construct a new manufacturing facility in Northbridge focused on development and commercialization of therapeutics for severe eye disorders.

Family-owned Koopman Lumber of Whitinsville is building its first Cape Cod location and 12th overall at the former Antiques Center of Cape Cod in Dennis.

The number of Worcester County home sales saw a 35% decline year-over-year in November while there was a 30% decline in the number of sales statewide, as Massachusetts prices hit their lowest level of increase in two years.

Boston real estate investment firm The Seyon Group purchased a 275,620 square-foot warehouse in Lancaster for $48 million from Foxborough-based The Kraft Group.

With the Thursday signing by Gov. Charlie Baker of the $3.76-billion Massachusetts economic development bill, more than $1.4 million will filter to five Central Massachusetts projects.

The Massachusetts Growth Capital Corp., a Boston-based quasi-public corporation, awarded $759,687 to Central Massachusetts chambers of commerce, development corporations, and micro-lenders.