CITY OF NEWTON

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1 CITY

13 VILLAGES

WELCOME

Welcome to the first edition of Newton’s Economic Development newsletter! Here we’ll provide regular updates on local businesses and events that bring us together, strengthen our village centers, foster connections to the city and with each other. We’ll touch on local, national and global trends that affect Newton’s commercial sector and cover the city's initiatives to make the Newton economy robust.

What is Economic Development?

Economic Development is about creating an environment in which our businesses and institutions thrive and our village centers are lively gathering spots. A robust Newton economy creates jobs and increases our commercial tax base, helping fuel city-wide projects including schools, attracting new businesses, and enhancing the quality of life for those who live, work, and play in Newton.

Our Priorities & Recent Activities

Support Newton's businesses so they grow and prosper. As part of our new concierge service, we work with new businesses, helping them navigate the permitting process so they can open sooner. If you're a business owner call us--we're here to help!

Attract new businesses to increase commercial investments and employment opportunities in Newton. Interviews with corporations who selected Newton for their headquarters are helping hone our messaging as we outreach to prospective companies about locating in Newton.

Invigorate our village centers to spur foot traffic and enhance quality of life. We're developing village-level branding and holding meetings like this one with business owners and stakeholders to generate new ideas for enlivening our villages. We'll be collaborating with Newton's Arts & Culture and Parks & Recreation Departments.

Streamline business processes, making it easy to do business in Newton. How do you apply for a sign permit? How long should it take? Does a new business really need to get a building permit even if it's just changing owners? (yes!) We're documenting the permitting processes for new businesses and identifying streamlining opportunities.

WHAT'S NEW, NEWTON?

Bye-bye, Wellesley. Hello Newton!

Thai is back! With an eye towards taking advantage of a smaller space, lower rent, and better foot traffic, restaurant Amarin of Thailand has ditched its Wellesley digs and is now open for business at 313 Walnut Street in Newtonville—the former location of Le Du Thai.

Location, Location, Location...

Bursting out of its spaces in Waltham and Boston, Divergence Physical Therapy & Wellness made the strategic decision to close those two locations and open a centrally located spot at 300 Washington Street in Newton Corner’s One Gateway Center. (It still has a clinic in Wellesley.) With its team of Doctors of Physical Therapy, this new Newton business is now open offering rehab and performance training helping clients move freely without pain.

Mexican Food in W. Newton

Yes, there’s now Mexican food in West Newton! The former Ninebark is now the Mexicana Grill & Cantina and boasts a new south of the border inspired menu. Latin American cuisine is familiar territory for owners Antonio de Trizio and Nicolas Ruiz (in photo), who are both originally from South America, and previously owned Latina Kitchen & Bar in Needham.

VACANT STOREFRONTS

We’ve all seen them—vacant storefronts that dot our villages, reminding us of what had once occupied the spaces or prompting us to dream about all of the retail possibilities. Some vacancies, like Auburndale's Just Next Door and Newtonville’s CVS, sit empty for years, representing one less reason to visit a village center, one less place to shop. There are a myriad of reasons for vacant storefronts, including rents that are too high, building owners with plans to develop properties disinterested in leasing them, and renovations that are prohibitively costly.

What can be done to activate these storefronts and brighten our village centers? We recently worked with two graduate students from Harvard's JFK School of Government to map Newton's 43 vacant storefronts. We're now touring these properties, meeting with owners, and exploring opportunities for bringing new life to these dark spaces. If you currently have a vacant Newton storefront, or one that will be vacant soon, and we haven't yet connected, we'd love to talk!