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  • The Plan
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    • Series: Housing on the South Shore
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    • Overview
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    • Water & Wastewater
  • News Center
    • The 2030 Blog
    • Virtual Events & Videos
    • Informational Reports
  • Our Region
    • About the South Shore
    • Demographics
    • Workforce Statistics
    • Essential Industries
    • Job Board
  • Partner With Us
    • Invest in Your Region
    • Why Invest
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    • Why?
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    • Contact Us
  • Sister Sites
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    • EAT South Shore

The 2030 Blog

The South Shore Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Corporation is Named One of 12 Organizations to Receive REDO Designation for 2023

3/7/2023

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​The South Shore Chamber’s Economic Development Corporation has received Regional Economic Development Organization (REDO) designation from the Massachusetts Office of Business Development for 2023. This designation will help to facilitate regional projects that help grow businesses, support our workforce and contribute to the Massachusetts economy.

The South Shore Chamber’s Economic Development Corporation is one of only twelve organizations statewide to receive this designation.  The REDO grants serve as a connection and conduit between start-ups, small businesses, and growing businesses in the region to state resources and support. Services include informational and educational programs on starting businesses, growing businesses, and the promotion of state programs that assist small businesses. Funds will support the creation of small business resources & local chamber programming, possible regional workforce initiatives, ongoing industry sector analysis and market insights, platforms for community infrastructure conversations, and a more robust South Shore 2030 website.

This year as part of this grant, the Economic Development Corporation was able to secure a $75,000 special project addendum for a local non-profit in Norwell. The funds will be used for capital improvements that drive future job growth and workforce development in the cultural economy.

“We are pleased to receive this designation that gives us resources to help our businesses and non-profits,” said Peter Forman, CEO of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce.
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South Shore Chamber of Commerce Wins Best In Show Award from National Chamber Association

9/6/2022

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ROCKLAND, MA AND ALEXANDRIA, VA, ISSUED AUGUST 31, 2022… The South Shore Chamber of Commerce has been named one of three Communications Excellence Best In Show winners by ACCE, the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. ACCE is the leading national association for chambers of commerce and economic development organizations representing over 1,600 members, and more than 9,000 industry professionals.

The South Shore Chamber of Commerce initially won the 2022 Award for Communication Excellence for “Overall Best Campaign” for their Hello! South Shore campaign. Hello! South Shore is a regional destination marketing campaign that was created and designed to assist the regional recovery from the economic impact of COVID-19. After receiving a Regional Pilot Project Grant through the Massachusetts Office of Business Development, the Chamber partnered with local towns, businesses, and organizations to create a series of excursions that ran throughout the summer. The excursions were designed to spotlight arts, culture, history, outdoors, food, shops, recreation, holiday events, farmers’ markets, and neighborhoods across the South Shore. 

The campaign was the first to formally promote the South Shore region. It’s companion website www.hellosouthshore.com encouraged 600,000+ residents to think of “local” as more than their own neighborhood or town and promoted broader exploration. This was accomplished through an exciting and robust marketing campaign—launched in less than six weeks— spotlighting discovery and the many excursions across the 25 cities and towns the chamber represents. The Chamber enlisted local business members for campaign creation including logo and creative development as well as media placement. The campaign launch spanned three months during the summer of 2021 with 125 unique communications produced and delivered through email, radio, social media, billboard, magazine, and other forms of media. The website, www.hellowsouthshore.com, is still very much the hub for all the excursions and places to visit in the region. 

As a result of this groundbreaking campaign for the South Shore Chamber, Hello! South Shore reached nearly a million impressions in just 13 weeks. The project also provided countless local businesses, organizations, and events the much-needed support they deserve as they recover from operational losses due to the pandemic.

The Best In Show Award was announced live at the ACCE Annual Convention held July 27 in Indianapolis. The Hello! South Shore campaign competed against major metro chambers and regional chambers in 3 other award categories including Digital Media, Website, Print & Electronic Publications. 

“Effective communications and storytelling are crucial to supporting a chamber’s mission and showcasing its impact,” said ACCE President & CEO Sheree Anne Kelly. “The South Shore Chamber of Commerce’s innovative efforts to help drive engagement and make a difference in the region it serves are inspiring and very deserving of this recognition.”

“Looking ahead and beyond recovery, the Hello! South Shore project is directly linked to our larger economic and community development goals as part of the South Shore 2030 Plan,” explained Peter Forman, president & CEO of the 121-year-old chamber. “If you’re thinking about a campaign to brand your region, think local. Marketing the assets of your community to outsiders falls flat if the local businesses and residents don’t recognize and value those assets first.”

A panel of communications and marketing professionals from ten U.S.-based chambers of commerce evaluated entries submitted for this year’s competition. Entries were organized by category — based on the chamber’s annual revenue. Judges presented 13 Awards of Excellence and three Best in Show awards.

About the South Shore Chamber of Commerce
The South Shore Chamber of Commerce is the largest, not-for-profit business organization in the region and holds a 5-Star Accreditation by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  Funded by members and partner businesses for over 120 years, our mission is to cultivate a stronger South Shore economy by encouraging a robust and diverse business climate; and by supporting the local members and communities we represent.  We know when businesses succeed, our communities succeed. To learn more, please visit www.southshorechamber.org or call 781-421-3900.

About the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives
Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) is the professional society supporting the people who lead local, regional, statewide, and international chambers of commerce and related business and economic development organizations. Our membership includes more than 1,600 business/civic organizations worldwide. We provide our members with information resources, thought leadership, education programs, original research, benchmarking, retirement security, and access to a network of peers. For information, visit www.acce.org.


Special thanks to all the local businesses and organizations that participated in
Hello! South Shore:

Abby Park
Alba Quincy
Alba on 53
Alma Nove
Anna's Harborside
The Artisan Pig
Barrel House Z
bia bistro
Black Tie Barber Shop
Board 143
Braintree 4th of July Committee
Burke's Alewerks
Burton's Grill
Buttonwood Books
Caffe Tosca 
Carmela's
Captain John Boats
Clandestine Kitchen
College Hype
The Company Theatre
Cushing Café
Derby Street Shops
East Coast Printing
edible South Shore
Epicurean Kitchen
Gerard's Turkey Farm
Glow Beauty Boutique
Greenside Grille
Hawk Visuals
Hemlock Ink
Hollywood Agency
Hotel 1620
Hull Lifesaving Museum
Idle Hour
Inn at Scituate Harbor
Island Creek Oysters
Jac's Café
Joye
Lenny's Hideaway
Leone Marketing Solutions
Levitate
Liv Creative Cuisine
Locally Yours
Lucca South Shore
Lucky Finn
​Main Street Media Group
Mamma Mia's
Marshfield Community Media
Mill Wharf
Mono Mono Boutique
Moonrise Cinemas
Nantasket Flatts
Novara Restaurant
Nona's Homemade
North South River Watershed Association
Off the Wall Kidz
Olde Salt House
PaddleSurf MA
The Parrot
Peace N Quiet Sailing Charters
Players Sports Bar & Grill
Plimouth Patuxent
Plymouth County Development Council
The Quarry
Quincy Farmers Market
 The Red Lion Tavern
Salty Harbor / 3 N 3
Salty Whale Cohasset
Sand & Water
Sandpaper Factory Goods
The Sandpiper Company
Sarcastic Swine BBQ
Second Wind Brewing
Slacktide Coffee Roasters
South Shore Arts Center
South Shore Conservatory
South Shore Home Life Style
South Shore Music Circus
South Shore Pottery Shop
Spin 350
Stars on Hingham Harbor
Starland Sportsplex & Fun Park
Stellwagen Brewing Company
Three Buoys & a Mermaid
The Tinker's Son
Three V
Trident
Tosca
Untold Brewing
Uva Wine Bar
Vela Juice Bar
Wahlburger's
The Weathervane Golf Club Tavern
Welch Company
Wildlands Trust
YupSup
Zef Cicchetti
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South Shore Chamber of Commerce Announces New Infrastructure Report

8/30/2022

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The South Shore Chamber of Commerce has released a new report which identifies current and future regional infrastructure priorities  that promote economic growth for the South Shore.

The infrastructure report lays out the next steps for the chamber to focus on for its South Shore 2030 regional economic development project. The report identifies water resources and wastewater capacity as the most pressing concern – both for sustainable economic growth and to protect our natural resources.

The chamber has long advocated for improving commuting in and out of Boston and the report also prioritizes intra-regional transportation to the agenda. This includes reverse commuting of workers to jobs on the South Shore as important to future job creation and business expansion on the South Shore.

To drive some infrastructure efficiencies and cost controls the report recommends focusing efforts on new infrastructure around targeted development areas on the South Shore. Examples include the Kingston/North Plymouth; the Route 3A corridor from Quincy to Hingham; the corridors of Route 3 between Hanover and Weymouth (including the Rte. 53 & Rte.18 arteries) and potential development from the new MBTA Communities Housing law, which is requiring communities to think about development in a more targeted, concentrated way.

The chamber’s report was influenced by its work over the past four years promoting housing and some projections and assumptions about how the pandemic might shape future growth.

“We were beginning to see younger people move out of Boston to the suburbs before COVID and expect that to continue at a higher rate the next few years,” said chamber president and CEO Peter Forman. “We are seeing a lot of local business growth and entrepreneurship spreading throughout the region, but we do not expect a significant shift of Boston-based office space into the suburbs following the pandemic. Our future job growth will come from new businesses starting here, growth in businesses that serve residents, and businesses moving here because of the workforce talent.”

Forman said the group’s goal is to “identify transportation priorities that are most closely tied to the region’s economic future. Their recommendations will become a blueprint for the Chamber’s Transportation work and political advocacy for the next few years.”

The report also warned about future pressure on the MBTA and threat of service changes, most of that coming out of the pandemic and reduced numbers of workers commuting to Boston offices.

Former Braintree mayor and board member of the state Department of Transportation Joseph Sullivan and Janice Bergeron, a transportation consultant who lives on the South Shore, co-chaired the chamber’s Transportation Advisory group, a contributing group of experts for the report. The Advisory Group is part of South Shore 2030, a comprehensive economic and community development plan. Visit the website at (www.SouthShore2030.com) to learn more.

“Serious commitments, including investments to infrastructure and transportation are a centerpiece of economic development for the South Shore,” said Sullivan. “Without it we lose our vibrancy and undermine our future quality of life.”
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2022 South of Boston Summit

4/20/2022

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Session One: 
Suburban Market Insights and Trends for Recovery
watch session one
Session Two: 
Weymouth Community Spotlight & Project Updates
watch session two

Networking Event at Grille 151

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Presenter Slides & Other Important Links

DOWNLOAD Presentation: Ashley Lane, Perry CRE
DOWNLOAD Presentation: Patrick Andrews, Break Rock Brewing Co.
DOWNLOAD Presentation: David Gilmore, Kingston Collection
DOWNLOAD Presentation: Ed Callahan & Lisa Berardinelli, Hanover Crossing
​
READ South of Boston Spotlight (NEREJ)
READ The Patriot Ledger coverage of Session 1
READ The Patriot Ledger coverage of Session 1

Thank you to our Sponsors!

PLATINUM
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GOLD
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CORPORATE
Cape Cod 5
Foxrock Properties
George Washington Toma Tv & Appliance 
Haynes Group, Inc.
Inspired Technology
Maugel Architects
Northmarq
Platinum Partners LLC
U.S. Pavement Services, Inc.
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Housing on the South Shore: Water & Wastewater Capacity

1/20/2021

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Forum recap: Our housing initiative calls for 44,000 units of new housing in order for our economy to grow 1%. One of the most common barriers for more housing in the suburbs is water/wastewater issues. We were joined by experts from Smart Growth America, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and Town of Scituate for a discussion on challenges in suburban build-out due to current limits on infrastructure capacity. During the session, panelist highlighted: 
  • Water & Wastewater capacity’s importance for economic development (in our region and others)
  • Importance of planning & resource allocation when availability is scarce (focus on concentration of development – more mixed use properties that answer residential and commercial/retail needs/wants)
  • Opportunities for regional or multi-municipal collaboration & coordination. 

Check out the video recording and speaker presentations below. 
Speakers:
Christopher Zimmerman, Vice President, Economic Development, Smart Growth America - Download presentation. 
Martin Pillsbury, Director of Environmental Planning, Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)
Betsy Cowan Neptune, Chief of Economic Development, Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) - Download presentation.
James Boudreau, Town Administrator, Town of Scituate
​​This work would not be possible without our Funders – thank you to Rockland Trust Bank, Massachusetts Housing Partnership, Cape Cod Lumber, Fireking Baking Company & Sullivan Tire for your continued support of our Housing Initiative. ​​We welcome the opportunity to speak with you further about our 2030 work and ways to get involved and engaged. Please contact Courtney Bjorgaard at cbjorgaard@southshorechamber.org to learn more. ​
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Zoning Reform Passes in the Legislature

1/8/2021

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Thank you to our Senators and Representatives who approved the Housing Choice legislation as part of the larger $625 million economic development bill. The South Shore Chamber of Commerce was an early supporter of this proposal to promote more housing. By collaborating, advocating, and supporting housing initiatives on state and municipal levels, we see housing production as an economic development strategy that increases our region’s housing choices and improves our region's economic competitiveness. 

The legislation encourages cities & towns to adopt zoning best practices related to housing development by a changing the threshold from a super-majority (66%) to a simple majority vote (51%) on 9 types of zoning reform. It does not mandate towns to make zoning changes, but gives them the tools to introduce new housing types and support local economic activity and growth. 

Our South Shore 2030 vision is to create an environment for current and future businesses and our resident workforce to thrive. Housing is a major component in creating this environment and our Housing Initiative encourages more housing options that attract the next generation of workers and keep our population of retirees here in our region. This housing choice legislation helps to advance our goals of adding an additional 44,000 housing units to the region by 2030, a critical initiative in our larger South Shore 2030 economic development agenda.

​​“The state’s housing crunch is not just a Boston problem, but also a suburban problem. The legislation will help communities allow the type of housing in the right area that helps promote community stability and economic growth. We reached out to our legislative delegation this week to reiterate the importance of this piece of the bill for our housing initiative and encouraged by their action,” said Peter Forman, President & CEO of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce.

News coverage from Patriot Ledger: 
​https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/2021/01/06/legislature-greenlights-625-million-economic-development-spending/6562705002/
Housing Choice Initiative Announcement (December 2017) including comments from Chamber President & CEO, Peter Forman. 
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Housing on the South Shore: Transit-Oriented Developments

10/27/2020

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This session offered attendees an opportunity to explore current and future thinking about housing and transit-oriented developments across the region. This was the second in a 3-part series focused on better informing our business community and regional leaders about opportunities and challenges around housing production across our region. We hope this series inspires business leaders to get involved in our economic development work and be a part of our South Shore 2030 plan. The series is brought ​to you by the South Shore Chamber’s Housing Committee, a working committee of committed professionals from various backgrounds committed to housing as an economic development strategy for the region. Our Housing Initiative work is made possible through generous funding from Rockland Trust Bank, Massachusetts Housing Partnership, Cape Cod Lumber, Fireking Baking Company & Sullivan Tire. 

Forum Recap: Callie Clark, Director of Policy at the Center for Housing Data at M
ass Housing Partnership (MHP) and Dr. Tracy Corley, TOD Fellow at MassInc provided expertise and insight into current transit-oriented development thinking, placemaking strategies and offered an in depth analysis of what development looks like at a variety the South Shore's transit stops. As we work towards a goal of 44,000 new homes added to the South Shore by 2030, we continue to remain optimistic about the role that TODs will play in getting us to this number, offering more diverse housing options and focusing on connecting people and places.
Audio file link below. 
Links to presentation materials
  • Dr. Tracy Corley, MassINC
  • Callie Clark, Mass Housing Partnership
  • Mass Housing Partnership's TODEX Tool

​This work would not be possible without our Funders – thank you to Rockland Trust Bank, Massachusetts Housing Partnership, Cape Cod Lumber, Fireking Baking Company & Sullivan Tire for your continued support of our Housing Initiative. ​​We welcome the opportunity to speak with you further about our 2030 work and ways to get involved and engaged. Please contact Courtney Bjorgaard at cbjorgaard@southshorechamber.org to learn more. ​
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Housing on the South Shore: Public Meeting Participation

9/29/2020

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This session offered attendees an opportunity to explore the complexities around development and the local planning process across Massachusetts. This was the first in a 3-part series focused on better informing our business community and regional leaders about opportunities and challenges around housing production across our region. We hope this series inspires business leaders to get involved in our economic development work and be a part of our South Shore 2030 plan. The series is brought ​to you by the South Shore Chamber’s Housing Committee, a working committee of committed professionals from various backgrounds committed to housing as an economic development strategy for the region. Our Housing Initiative work is made possible through generous funding from Rockland Trust Bank, Massachusetts Housing Partnership, Cape Cod Lumber, Fireking Baking Company & Sullivan Tire. 

Forum Recap: Boston University's Initiative on Cities Neighborhood Defenders Project examines who attends public meetings and how that shapes development (or lack thereof) in our communities. The presentation offered an examination of public participation across the South Shore, who attends, why it matters, how it impacts our region’s ability to be economically competitive. Following the presentation, attendees asked questions and had a discussion about how we can have a greater impact in the development process across our communities. Included below, you will find a link to the session recording, presentation materials and a link to the book by our guest presenter David Glick and his colleagues from Boston University. 


Link to presentation slides from Associate Professor David Glick: Presentation

Link to book by presenter & team from Boston University: Neighborhood Defenders, Participatory Politics and America's Housing Crisis


This work would not be possible without our Funders – thank you to Rockland Trust Bank, Massachusetts Housing Partnership, Cape Cod Lumber, Fireking Baking Company & Sullivan Tire for your continued support of our Housing Initiative. ​​We welcome the opportunity to speak with you further about our 2030 work and ways to get involved and engaged. Please contact Courtney Bjorgaard at cbjorgaard@southshorechamber.org to learn more. 

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RECAP: 2020 South of Boston Summit

3/5/2020

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On March 5, 2020 over 250 professionals gathered to hear updates on the commercial, residential and mixed-use real estate market on the South Shore. Opening the program, Rich Beal, President of A.W. Perry, provided an overview of the South Shore Market in comparison with other markets, the Chamber's South Shore 2030 plan, and the South Shore's regional opportunities and challenges.

Following Beal's remarks, attendees heard from three local officials  -- Weymouth Mayor Robert Hedlund; Jen Constable, Rockland Assistant Town Administrator & Vice Chair of the Hull Board of Selectman; and Ellen Allen, Chair of the Norwell Board of Selectman. Topics included town and regional collaboration to address water and wastewater challenges, transportation opportunities and examination of zoning of critical parcels across the region to allow for greater development capacity.

Following the discussion with local officials, attendees heard from four developers on critical and important regional projects -  neighborhood revitalization in the Weymouth/Braintree Landing to Nantasket Beach in Hull to the old Cordage Rope Factory in Plymouth to the robust planned development at the intersection of Rt. 44 and Rt. 3 in West Plymouth. It's clear there is great opportunity throughout the South Shore to make it a key competitive region outside of Boston.

View presentation links below. 

Keynote -- Rich Beal, A.W. Perry & Chair of the South Shore Economic Development Corp.
Developer Showcase

Joe Gratta, Atlantic Mechanical & Developer of Weston Park Apartments in The Weymouth & Braintree Landing
Mike Hogan, A.D. Makepeace & Redbrook
Jim Goldenberg, Cathartes & co-developer of Harborwalk & Plymouth Station
Aldous Collins & Chas Boggini, Paragon Boardwalk
​
Thank you to our sponsors and vendors for your generous support of this program. 
​GOLD SPONSOR
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CORPORATE SPONSORS
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VENDORS
Cape Cod Lumber
​ConservGroup Inc. 
Fifield Inc. 
HomeWorks Energy
MassSave
Paragon Boardwalk
South Shore Health

Event Photos 

(Photos courtesy of Elisif Photography)
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Economic Forecast at South Shore Chamber

1/31/2020

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Mr. Mark Melnick of The Donahue Institute spoke at the South Shore Chamber's Economic Outlook breakfast co-sponsored with Envision Bank.  We are pleased to share his presentation which included some nice comparisons on how the South Shore stacks up with the rest of the state on key economic factors.   It validated some of our work on South Shore 2030 to make the region economically stronger.  We were particularly impressed with three slides:

​

  1. Slide 9  shows we are 1/3  below (less competitive) the state’s concentrations of jobs in the high talent/high salaried Professional and Technical service industry mix but more concentrated than the state’s overall share in the financial services (by almost 70%) and retail  (by 30%) sectors. That illustrates one of the underlying challenge facing the South Shore.  Some of our largest job sectors are in contracting industries that are shedding jobs while at the same time we have a smaller share of some key sectors that are growing and have higher paying jobs. Our challenge becomes how do we expand and attract the growth sectors.  We believe we do it by growing the talent and workforce available on the South Shore.
  2. Slide 22 compares the percentage of family income going to housing. That has declined for homeowners since the recession but has stayed high for apartment owners.  The percentage of course depends on two factors:  household incomes and the cost of the housing. Overall we believe this supports our housing agenda. It suggests we are not building enough of the housing product (multi-family such as apartments) that young professionals are looking for.  That keeps apartment rents too high for many younger people. That in turn limits our ability to grow the workforce.   
  3. Finally, slide  27 nicely captures our transportation and economic challenge.  (This compares the middle section of the South Shore). We have 1/3 more residents commuting out of the area for jobs than workers coming in from other regions.  This reinforces information from our Original 2030 study that the entire South Shore has more people leaving the area for jobs than coming in for jobs.   And most of our traffic heads North to or through Boston.  While we continue to work on the Boston commute for our residents the better solution to the transportation problem is creating more jobs in the region so residents have better employment choices than driving to Boston.  

download presentation here
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South Shore Economic Development Corporation
1050 Hingham Street, Rockland MA 02370
Phone: 781.421.3900 | info@southshorechamber.org | sitemap
Photo Disclaimer: Photos found on website may be subject to copyright. Permission to use images was provided by development teams for use on website. Other photos were taken by staff.
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