The Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) have launched BioBoost, a program intended to provide funding to expand biomanufacturing and medtech advanced manufacturing operations across Massachusetts. Some $60 million in funding requests came into the program, which has a $3.5-million budget.

Largest of the five grants awarded was $1.4 million to Woburn-based Terrestrial. The funding will support the buildout of what is reportedly the world’s first commercial-scale therapeutic microarray patch manufacturing headquarters. Other grants went to Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives, RoslinCT, Holobiome and Theromics Inc.

“Expanding manufacturing capacity is essential to sustaining growth in Massachusetts’ life sciences ecosystem,” said Undersecretary of Business Strategies Zenobia Moochhala. “These investments will help companies move faster, create high-quality jobs, and build a more resilient production pipeline across the Commonwealth.”  

Since 2008, the MLSC has deployed more than $1.1 billion in Massachusetts through grants, loans, capital infrastructure investments, tax incentives and workforce development programs

The Charlotte City Council approved spending an additional $11.3 million to close the final funding gap for a sports and recreation center where a nonperforming mall used to be. To go along with last year’s allocation of $30 million, Eastland Yards has been given the green light. The project will entail a 100,000-square-foot indoor sports center and a companion outdoor hub featuring six multi-use, artificial turf fields. 

The indoor center will have the capacity for 10 full-sized basketball courts and be convertible for pickleball, volleyball, cheerleading and other tournaments, events and uses. The council’s vote increased the city government’s commitment to $41.3 million, or 62% of the estimated $67 million total cost.

Four private entities will contribute a combined $25.8 million to the $48 million construction cost for the indoor center ($32.6 million) and soccer complex ($15.4 million). The project is expected to generate $169 million a year.

City government bought the 80-acre former Eastland Mall property in 2012 and demolished the abandoned shopping mall the following year.

Nashville-based development firm CA South closed on a $22 million bridge loan to refinance one of its apartment projects. Knighthead Funding originated the loan for the refinancing of The Luna, a newly built apartment community located at 1009 8th Ave. S in Nashville’s Edgehill neighborhood. The two-year, fixed-rate loan will be used to take out the maturing construction loan on the property.

Built in 2023, The Luna features 108 apartments with monthly rental rates ranging from $1,650 to $4,300. Floor plans include studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts ranging in size from 520 to 1,350 square feet. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, clubhouse, pet play area, pet washing station and a business center.

Knighthead has secured 210 loans totaling $3.1 billion in 36 states over ten property types.

TWG held a groundbreaking event for its first seniors-only affordable housing property in Washington state. Upon completion, Ardea at Totem Lake will provide 170 new homes for older low- and middle-income residents at 12700 116th Ave. N.E. in Kirkland. The development is supported by a $16.15-million low-rate loan from the Amazon Housing Equity Fund.

“King County, Washington is one of the wealthiest counties in the country, making affordable housing oftentimes unattainable for seniors,” said Allen Dauterman, senior development director at TWG. “We are so proud to introduce Ardea at Totem Lake to the community and provide seniors with an affordable place they can call home, one that is transit-oriented and built with their needs in mind.”

In addition to the Amazon loan, Ardea at Totem Lake also received public funding support from the City of Kirkland, JLL Capital Markets, King County and A Regional Coalition for Housing. The project is near TWG’s other affordable housing community in the area, Grata at Totem Lake, which is expected to open later in 2024. Ardea at Totem Lake is scheduled to be completed and ready for residents in late 2025.