I caught about two minutes of tonight’s gubernatorial debate. Unfortunately, I missed the “get off your high horse sometimes and I’ll show you around” zinger. Zing!
I did hear Christy Mihos (I-Mars) talk about the future of Massachusetts, and how everything will be better if we just focus on three industries: healthcare, high-tech, and tourism. (Or, was it healthcare, tourism, and higher education?)
Anyway, I can agree with two of those. Third, tourism? Yes, probably we’ll always have it, but I wouldn’t want to build our state’s economic future on it. Well, maybe. I’ll think about that.
I agree that healthcare is #1. Maybe banking and financial services, even though it seems we read a story a day about Fidelity moving jobs out, and companies going up for sale, like MFS (although that’s not owned by a Massachusetts company, in fact).
High-tech is a for-sure, even though some would argue that it’s what got us into trouble, last time. Higher education seems like a great industry to focus on, except for the entire city of Boston, where residents will continue to try their darndest to drive every student out of the city.
About those hospitals, here are some details:
There will be nearly two million SF of new clinical, research, and treatment space built in the city over the next few years.
Mass General Hospital has already started work on a 640,000-SF ambulatory care facility and a 725-car parking garage.
The Joslin Diabetes Center may add a total of 518,000 SF to the center’s 1 Joslin Place facility. Plans include a new laboratory building and a residential complex.
Also under construction is a 10-story, 350,000-SF ambulatory care facility for Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
At New England Baptist Hospital in the city’s Mission Hill neighborhood, plans for a 129,000-SF institutional and clinical addition are currently under review by the BRA.
Additionally, last month Tufts-New England Medical Center and New England Baptist Hospital announced that they plan to open a 500,000-SF hospital in the Boston suburbs that would be the first new hospital in the state in 25 years.
Amazing. Simply amazing. Where there are hospitals, there will be jobs. (And, lots of sick people, too.)
Source: Boston Hospitals See Growth Spurt – By Beverly Ford, Globest.com
