Business

See the Highlights from the Charles River Chamber’s Forum on Housing, Real Estate

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The Charles River Regional Chamber recently hosted a forum looking at housing production in the area, and heard from a panel of experts, as well as State Sen. Will Brownsberger. See details in the announcement below. A new Boston Indicators report, authored by Newton’s own Amy Dain, found that the law has already helped generate nearly 7,000 housing units statewide. So far that includes 203 homes completed or in the pipeline thanks to MBTA-C in Needham; 193 homes in Watertown; 158 homes in Newton; but none to date in Wellesley, according to Dain’s report.  

(We believe the Watertown number of MBTA-C units is actually higher than Dain reported … Dain concludes that MBTA-C is the most effective state policy to boost housing production in years, writing that “construction is happening as a direct result.”

At the same time, she cautions that the law’s hallmark flexibility “leaves a lot of leeway for communities to embrace — or sidestep — the law’s housing goals.”but sadly not Wellesley’s.)

What’s next?

Business

Watertown Life Science Company to be Acquired by Eli Lilly

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Orna Therapeutics Logo

Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly will be acquiring a company in the East End of Watertown Arsenal, the two companies announced on Feb. 9. Orna Therapeutics is based at 500 Forge, a building near Home Depot that used to house Miller’s Ale House and offices into lab space. The following announcement was released Monday:

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) and Orna Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company dedicated to engineering immune cells in vivo, today announced entry into a definitive agreement for Lilly to acquire Orna. Orna is advancing a new class of therapeutics utilizing engineered circular RNA paired with novel lipid nanoparticles to allow the patient’s own body to generate cell therapies that can treat underlying disease.

Business

Mainstay Eatery in Watertown Square Closing After 27 Years

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Longtime dining destination, Not Your Average Joe’s, will be closing after more than a quarter century in Watertown Square. The last day for the Watertown location is Feb. 11, 2026, according to Sara Murtagh, Regional Director of Operations for Not Your Average Joe’s. “This is very sad for us as this is our oldest NYAJoe’s,” Murtagh said. “We have loved being a part of this community and have a lot of amazing memories.”