Framingham 2004

Framingham 2004 June 2004

Craig MacCormack June 2004 Community Guide

Framingham continues to grow and redefine itself as developers take advantage of some of the town's new zoning bylaws.
Two mixed-use projects were approved by the Planning Board in the past few months, meaning downtown should get the facelift so many people say it desperately needs.
The projects - one of which will rehab the former site of the historic Kendall hotel into apartments, shops, and offices and another that will bring a $52 million overhaul to five downtown buildings, dubbed the Arcade at Downtown Framingham - should get rolling later in 2004.
These new developments were among the final projects heard by a pair of long-time Planning Board members, Helen Lemoine and Larry Marsh. While their departures from the board took away nearly a quarter-century of experience, the board saw the return of 12-year mainstay Sue Bernstein to offset the loss.
The town also marked the fifth anniversary of Town Manager George King in April. The Framingham native took the job in 1999 from Russell Marcoux and has gained respect for the way he managed the budget during a difficult stretch.
Still, some in the town had pushed for a change in the town's government and a switch to an elected town manager. That effort failed at the most recent Town Meeting.
That session, which included the approval of a $167 million budget that will provide similiar services as this year, also marked a successful pair of articles by the Framingham Taxpayers Association.
The organization got plenty of support for its push to give taxpayers a break on their real estate payments if a townwide trash fee is implemented, and also earned kudos for the push to get town leaders to negotiate employees' total compensation as a package include both salary and health insurance.
Long an industrial center, Framingham's industrial boom began at the turn of the 20th century with the Dennison Manufacturing plant.
The Dennison complex is yet another piece of the town's history that is in the midst of rehabilitation, with a project similar to those on the Kendall and Arcade properties in the works.
Framingham is also the corporate headquarters of newer companies such as Bose, Genzyme, Lifeline, Staples, and TJX Corp.
The town is centrally located, with major highways - the Massachusetts Turnpike and Rtes. 9, 495, 126, and 135 - running through it or readily accessible.
Major shopping areas, including Shoppers World, the nearby Natick Mall and the golden triangle of Rte. 9 are within a short drive of each other.
The town also offers the Danforth Museum of Art, Garden in the Woods - the nature preserve and headquarters of the New England Wildflower Society - the Performing Arts Center, Callahan State Pasrk, and three public beaches.
Framingham is the home of Framingham State College and of satellite campuses of some other colleges.

Framingham 2004	June 2004
Craig MacCormack	June 2004 Community Guide
Framingham continues to grow and redefine itself as developers take advantage of some of the town's new zoning bylaws. Two mixed-use projects were approved by the Planning Board in the past few months, meaning downtown should get the facelift so many people say it desperately needs. The projects - one of which will rehab the former site of the historic Kendall hotel into apartments, shops, and offices and another that will bring a $52 million overhaul to five downtown buildings, dubbed the Arcade at Downtown Framingham - should get rolling later in 2004. These new developments were among the final projects heard by a pair of long-time Planning Board members, Helen Lemoine and Larry Marsh. While their departures from the board took away nearly a quarter-century of experience, the board saw the return of 12-year mainstay Sue Bernstein to offset the loss. The town also marked the fifth anniversary of Town Manager George King in April. The Framingham native took the job in 1999 from Russell Marcoux and has gained respect for the way he managed the budget during a difficult stretch. Still, some in the town had pushed for a change in the town's government and a switch to an elected town manager. That effort failed at the most recent Town Meeting. That session, which included the approval of a $167 million budget that will provide similiar services as this year, also marked a successful pair of articles by the Framingham Taxpayers Association. The organization got plenty of support for its push to give taxpayers a break on their real estate payments if a townwide trash fee is implemented, and also earned kudos for the push to get town leaders to negotiate employees' total compensation as a package include both salary and health insurance. Long an industrial center, Framingham's industrial boom began at the turn of the 20th century with the Dennison Manufacturing plant. The Dennison complex is yet another piece of the town's history that is in the midst of rehabilitation, with a project similar to those on the Kendall and Arcade properties in the works. Framingham is also the corporate headquarters of newer companies such as Bose, Genzyme, Lifeline, Staples, and TJX Corp. The town is centrally located, with major highways - the Massachusetts Turnpike and Rtes. 9, 495, 126, and 135 - running through it or readily accessible. Major shopping areas, including Shoppers World, the nearby Natick Mall and the golden triangle of Rte. 9 are within a short drive of each other. The town also offers the Danforth Museum of Art, Garden in the Woods - the nature preserve and headquarters of the New England Wildflower Society - the Performing Arts Center, Callahan State Pasrk, and three public beaches. Framingham is the home of Framingham State College and of satellite campuses of some other colleges.

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