Town Leaders Address Chamber

​Earlier this week we had the opportunity to hear community updates from 5 area town administrators. Our members got to hear about what's happening in our region from updates on economic development and housing to transportation and other matters of importance to local business.

From my perspective, the program served as a reminder of what makes this region so special. Sometimes when we are focused on our day to day lives, we can miss the bigger picture of what's happening around us. Here are a few of the community assets that were highlighted by our municipal leaders:
The town of Canton has a wonderful new community space in the Paul Revere Heritage Site, which will soon feature a museum of discovery and innovation. The state's first TopGolf facility is currently under construction on Dedham Street and will soon be a major destination in the area.
In Foxborough, Patriot Place continues to grow with ongoing updates to Gillette Stadium. The stadium will host the Army-Navy football game this fall. One of the premier sporting events in the world. Also Station One by Shovel Town Brewery recently opened in a converted former fire station in Foxborough center.
Speaking of breweries, the town of Norwood now has two of them, Castle Island and Irish Brewing Boston. The town is also seeing tremendous growth and investment from Moderna which now occupies the entire site of what was once Polaroid. They are creating hundreds jobs in the process. Norwood is also the new home of the Skating Club of Boston, one of only two Olympic training facilities in the nation.
The town of Sharon is even getting into the act. Construction of the Sharon Gallery, a mixed use development on 90 acres is expected to begin soon. The long awaited project will feature restaurant, retail, office and housing uses along with related infrastructure improvements.
In Walpole, several redevelopment projects have recently been completed or are underway in the downtown district, including transit oriented development near the commuter rail station.

After hearing our town officials talk about all this and more it reminds me of what a great community we live and work in.

To learn more about what's happening in Norwood, be sure to watch Chronicle on WCVB TV Monday night. You may see some people you know.

Tom O'Rourke, CCE
President and CEO