Boston Transit-Oriented Development Boom

Michael Everett Capuano is serving his tenth term as a Representative in Congress for Massachusetts' Seventh District, which includes Chelsea, Everett, Randolph, Somerville, half of Cambridge and Milton and approximately 75% of Boston. He is the senior Massachusetts member on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Financial Services Committee. When Democrats took back a majority in the House, Mike was appointed to head the Transition by Leader Nancy Pelosi. He was also appointed to chair the Special Task Force on Ethics Enforcement, which resulted in the establishment of the Office of Congressional Ethics, and what the Washington Post called “a significant improvement over the current process.” In March of 2008, his resolution establishing an Office of Congressional Ethics passed, involving non-Members of the House in ethics matters for the first time in history. An attempt was made by House Republicans early in 2017 to severely weaken the office, but the outcry was so great that the effort was halted. Mike works for his constituents on local, national and international levels. As a member of the Transportation Committee, he has successfully protected the state’s share of federal transportation dollars. In 2012, Mike’s measure establishing a nationwide tunnel safety inspection program became law. In 2015, the Federal Transit Administration made its nearly $1 billion federal funding commitment to the Green Line Extension official with the signing of a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA), something Mike has been working on for years. He continues working hard to protect that funding and ensure that the GLX advances. Moved by the story of a young man forced out of school and into hiding after telling authorities of a crime he witnessed, Mike filed the "Young Witness Assistance Act" to create a grant program at the Department of Justice for locally developed juvenile witness assistance initiatives. Mike also succeeded in passing a law to require Medicare coverage for vision rehabilitation services. These services help restore safety and independence to seniors who suffer from vision loss. Mike co-founded and co-chairs the Congressional Caucus on Sudan and South Sudan. He has emerged as a leading Congressional voice, traveling to the region, securing $50 million for peacekeepers and advocating for a strong response to the humanitarian crises there. He is working with his colleagues to end the violence and suffering, pushing for an arms embargo and working to avert famine with adequate humanitarian relief. Prior to serving in Congress, Mike was the Mayor of Somerville, MA from January of 1990 through January of 1999. He was born in Somerville to Andrew Capuano of Somerville and Rita Garvey Capuano of Allston-Brighton and Dorchester. He graduated from Somerville High School, received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College in 1973, and a law degree from Boston College Law School in 1977. He passed the Massachusetts Bar in 1977. Mike is married to Barbara Teebagy Capuano. Barbara also graduated from Somerville High School, received a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston State College in 1974 and earned her MBA from Babson College in 1976. Barbara became a Certified Public Accountant in 1978. They have two sons, Michael and Joseph.

In October of 2015, Governor Charlie Baker appointed Scott Bosworth as Chief Strategy Officer of MassDOT. In this role, Scott works with Secretary Stephanie Pollack and MassDOT/MBTA senior staff, to drive institutional change and innovation, foster a customer-centric culture, and lead key strategic initiatives of the agencies and the Baker/Polito Administration. His deep roots in federal, state and local transportation policy span three decades, including influential assignments as Assistant Secretary of Transportation under Governors Weld and Cellucci as well as with the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives and its Chairman, Congressman Bud Shuster. After leaving state government in 1998, Scott started a group of companies that deliver architectural, engineering, public engagement and strategic planning services to public and private real estate, transportation, and infrastructure entities.

As President, Jim Halliday is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the Company. In leading the Senior Management Team, Jim is responsible for coordinating the efforts of all aspects and functions of the Company. In sharing functional responsibilities with the other members of the Senior Management Team, Jim has primary responsibility for the leasing, property management, and financing efforts of the portfolio. Jim and the NB Development Team are currently working on executing the collaborative vision of New Balance and the community of Allston Brighton to transform Boston Landing into an exciting new and lively new mixed use district comprised of innovation, health & wellness, living and 18-hour/7-Days retail & restaurants activity, as reflected in its anchor tenancies of New Balance, Boston Bruins, and Boston Celtics. Prior to this role, Jim served as the Real Estate Controller for the Company, where he was responsible for the financial reporting and lender & banking relationships for the Company, its property holdings, and its development projects. Jim has over 30 years of real estate experience, including Vice-President of Company Operations & Controller for Winstanley Enterprises, and as a Senior Asset Manager with Spaulding & Slye Investments, Great Point Investors, and Liberty Real Estate Group. Jim also held financial reporting related positions with Liberty Real Estate Group, The Beacon Companies, and Boston Properties. Jim obtained his MBA from Suffolk University and his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Northeastern University. Jim is a licensed Massachusetts Real Estate Broker. Jim was a varsity competitive swimmer while at Northeastern University. Jim is also passionate about skiing and is a PSIA certified Ski Instructor, where you can find him on the Cranmore Mountain slopes in North Conway, during the winters. Jim also serves as an Ambassador for Parlor Skis, a New England based custom fit ski-maker based in East Boston.

John (Tad) Read is Senior Deputy Director for Transportation & Infrastructure Planning at the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) where he oversees the Agency’s transportation and infrastructure planning and policy development teams, focusing on the intersection between transportation, infrastructure, sustainability and placemaking. The work includes both development review and long term planning. Recent projects include work on Imagine Boston 2030 (the new Citywide Plan), Go Boston 2030, the Allston I-90 Interchange design, the Rutherford Avenue Design, the Fairmount Line, the Smart Utilities Vision, and the Lower Mystic River Transportation Study. In 2015/2016, Tad served as Acting Director of Planning at the BPDA. Tad began his career leading neighborhood and transportation planning projects in southern California. Later he became the Housing Administrator in the City of Santa Monica where he oversaw citywide housing policy and underwriting for affordable housing. After coming to Boston to complete a Masters in Design Studies program at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard, Tad served as TOD Planning Manager for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 2004 until 2007. He holds a B.A. from Williams College and M.A.in Architecture and Urban Planning from UCLA.

As part of the Senior Management Team, Keith Craig is involved in the day to day operations of the Company. As Director, Keith is responsible for all aspects of development including strategy, financial analysis, entitlements, programming and design, directing team members and third party consultants, managing contracts, and project execution. Keith has 17 years of experience in Boston’s real estate community. Prior to joining NB Development Group, Keith worked for Northland Investment Corporation, an owner and developer of residential and commercial real estate, Epsilon Associates, Joslin, Lesser & Associates (now NV5), and the City of Somerville. Keith also spent several years as a Senior Project Manager with the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) managing the design and development review process for a range of complex development projects, including major area colleges and hospitals. While at the BRA, he facilitated the entitlement and permitting process for more than 10 million square feet of development. Keith graduated from Dalhousie University with a Masters degree in Urban Planning and received his Bachelors degree from the University of Calgary. Keith is a member of the Urban Land Institute and the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. He is also a LEED Accredited Professional.

Chris Kuschel joined MAPC in the fall of 2012. Working with members in various divisions within MAPC, Chris focuses largely on transit-oriented development projects, revitalization plans, and implementation of complete streets policies and plans. Prior to joining MAPC, Chris worked as an intern for Sasaki Associates, a multi-disciplinary urban planning and design firm, located in Watertown. During graduate school he supplemented his academic studies with work relevant to urban planning and public health. In the summer of 2011 he received a grant to work in Hanoi, Vietnam for HealthBridge, a Canadian non-governmental organization, in its Livable Cities Program. The aim of this program is to improve public health in developing countries through interventions in the built environment. Chris concentrated on helping to preserve the city’s fresh food markets, an imperative for both health and cultural reasons. In addition, he interned with the Interdisciplinary Consortium of Urban Planning and Public Health (ICUPPH), researching domestic urban planning interventions to improve health outcomes and behaviors. Prior to enrolling in an urban planning graduate program, Chris worked as a consultant in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Industries practice, focusing on the Firm’s thought leadership, as well as providing business and financial advisory services to a variety of stakeholders in the healthcare sector. Chris graduated in May 2012 with a master degree in urban planning from Harvard Graduate School of Design, where he concentrated in public health and urban design. He also has a master in economics and finance from Brandeis University, where he also received undergraduate degrees in economics and art history. Chris is a Certified Planner through the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).

Patrick McMahon is senior vice president – regional development for Federal Realty Investment Trust. In this capacity, he is responsible for the management of the Trust’s development pipeline in the Northeast, including the multi-phase development at Assembly Row in Somerville, Massachusetts. Mr. McMahon, who has been active in real estate development for nearly 20 years, joined the Trust in 2013 and most recently served as vice president – development. Prior to this, Mr. McMahon was vice president of development in the Northeast Region at Simpson Housing LLLP, where he oversaw all aspects of the development process. Prior to that, he was a project director at Edward A. Fish Associates, a large New England real estate development company. Mr. McMahon sits on the Board of Directors for Heading Home, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides shelter and social services to homeless families. He also sits on the Board of Trustees for the Planning Office for Urban Affairs, Inc., a 40-year-old non-profit affordable housing development corporation. Mr. McMahon holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Boston College.

Josh is an attorney and transit advocate. As an attorney with Hackett Feinberg P.C. in Boston, Josh concentrates his practice on commercial real estate transactions and financing, including leasing and affordable housing development. Josh co-founded and serves as board member of TransitMatters, a nonprofit advocating for a better public transit system for the Greater Boston region. In this role, he hosts a monthly podcast, which is produced by CommonWealth Magazine. TransitMatters advances global best practices and high return initiatives in a way that makes the transportation conversation in Greater Boston more accessible to residents, business leaders and policymakers. Josh’s legal experience includes real estate, tax, business and nonprofit organizational matters in a variety of settings. Josh has additional professional experience in commercial and residential real estate brokerages, state government, and the energy sector. He is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and before the United State Tax Court. Josh has visited 46 states and has hit the halfway mark in his life goal to visit every National Park in the U.S. He lives with his wife and children in the West Roxbury neighborhood of Boston.

The founder and CEO of Camford Property Group, INC. Brad brings over 10 years of experience in real estate development and construction. Prior to starting Camford Brad worked for a Boston based construction company managing multi-million dollar projects. This only confirmed his hunger for building. From there Brad started a successful general contracting business that was focused on custom projects for residential and commercial clients. Brad is passionate about watching a project come to life from the ground up. “We love being part of community growth. Nothing is more exciting than creating a unique living experience that people truly enjoy” Education & Affiliations  University of Massachusetts - Charlton College of Business – Bachelor’s - Finance  MIT – Center for Real Estate – Certificate Program Courses  Developing leaders, NAIOP Massachusetts  Hockomock Advisors  Franklin Downtown Partnership Association  Construction Supervisor License

Primarily tasked with identifying and analyzing new development opportunities for the Company throughout its target markets, Mr. Feldman participates in every element of the development process to facilitate its direction, from project master planning and design, to budgeting and leasing, permitting and financing. At the corporate level, he participates in the overall direction and growth of the Company, including property acquisition and disposition, project selection, asset management and general corporate affairs. Prior to joining Feldco, Mr. Feldman worked in the motion picture industry as a writer/producer in conjunction with many of the major movie studios including Paramount Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment, Miramax Films, The Weinstein Company, Walt Disney Pictures and Sony Pictures. His experience in identifying and securing material for film, shepherding the creative process, packaging the project with financial resources and talent, and ultimately overseeing the production of the picture provided the tools necessary for a real estate career. He holds a real estate degree from The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University.

Robert has a unique ability to see past the surface of a project to discover the opportunity hidden within. He also recognizes the importance of strong relationships in this business; over the past 25 years, he has built and maintained strong relationships with tenants, lenders, investors, partners, and professionals alike. Robert founded Mark Development (MD) in 1990 after serving seven years as Executive Vice President of Acquisitions for Triangle Capital, a national, commercial real estate developer. Robert’s vision and his passionate, hands-on leadership are the fundamental drivers of MD’s efficiency in acting on deals where time is of the essence. Currently, he is working on commercial developments in downtown Boston, Cambridge, and Newton.

Alykhan is an urban planner at Sasaki with a broad range of experience in transportation, open space and land use planning in the US and abroad. Alykhan firmly believes that small but strategic conversations and projects can make big statements and pave the way for transformative change on a larger scale. His experience working on projects such as Houston’s System Reimagining and New Orleans’ TOD and affordable housing strategy has been an inspiration for thinking about mobility within a broader urban context. Most recently, Alykhan has been leading Sasaki’s research initiative on autonomous vehicles and their effect on the built environment. Prior to joining Sasaki, Alykhan worked as an urban planner at Asakura Robinson in Austin, TX, at the World Bank Group in Washington, DC., and at Hunnarshaala Foundation in Gujarat, India.

Ms. Silk is a Development Partner with more than 20 years of planning and real estate experience.  As a Development Partner for Jefferson Apartment Group, her responsibilities include sourcing, permitting and executing all residential development projects in the Boston market.  Most recently, she led the development team for the an assemblage of properties in Malden Center, currently under construction to be redeveloped into over 500,000 sf of mixed use retail, residential and office space. She previously acted as Director of Development for Federal Realty Investments Trust’s Assembly Row project in Somerville and has worked in multifamily development for JPI and Archstone and for Harbor Properties in Seattle. She also has experience in historic resource and recreational planning for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (when it was known as the Department of Environmental Management).  To date, Ms. Silk has been directly involved in the development and construction of more than 1500 multifamily units in the Boston area including Archstone Boston Common and Archstone (now Avalon) North Point as well as Jefferson at Admiral’s Hill, Chelsea and Arlington 360 in Arlington.  She currently oversees more than 500 units in development and has experience with permitting and developing projects in multiple jurisdictions including Boston, Cambridge, Somerville and Malden. She earned a Masters in Urban Planning and a Masters in Business Administration at the University of Washington in Seattle and received a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and Public Policy from Boston University.