🥕An office conversion carrot

Also: Rescuers brace for more flooding in Vermont; why Mass. is getting hit with a wave of new learner's permits [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  July 11, 2023 ☀️ Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Good Morning Boston, The sun is back, but [flood warnings]( remain in effect today for [much of the Connecticut River Valley]( after yesterday's heavy rain. Five communities in Massachusetts, including North Adams and Deerfield, declared a state of emergency. Still, the impact here pales in comparison to [the flooding in Vermont]( where the capital's downtown is [literally underwater](. Scroll below for more on the Vermont flooding, which officials are [likening to Tropical Storm Irene in 2011](. But let's start today's news back here in the Massachusetts capital: - Why not convert those empty Boston office buildings into apartments? It's a common question in our post-pandemic world, amid lots of [newly empty (or underused) office space]( and [a chronic housing shortage](. Other cities show [it can be done]( but zoning, plumbing and physical layout [complicate matters](. So, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is offering a carrot to downtown building owners who give the conversion a try: a big property tax break. - Wu's office announced a new program that would give owners up to a 75% tax break for three decades if they convert underutilized office buildings into apartments. Boston Planning Chief Arthur Jemison said the public-private partnership aims to kickstart "a new, mixed-use neighborhood Downtown," while producing much-needed housing. - It's a one-time-only offer: Wu's office plans to begin accepting conversion applications this fall through June 2024. - The requirements: Projects must comply with the city's affordability rules and [new "stretch" energy efficiency standards](. They also have to start construction by October 2025 — or else pay back taxes. (The city will also get a 2% cut on any future sale of the property to help make up for the foregone taxes.) - How does an office-to-apartment conversion actually work? [This Planet Money episode]( gets into the nitty-gritty. - Get the word out: Boston is expanding a program that offers free healthy meals to residents 18 and under at community sites across the city. The program — called [Boston Summer Eats]( — requires no registration or ID and is intended for the kids of immigrants and refugees who don't qualify for state or federal programs. - Find a location: The city will have over 100 Boston Summer Eats sites, including 22 farmer's markets, this summer. They're also not limited to Boston. See the [full statewide map of sites here](. - Madonna fans will have to wait a bit longer for the singer to come to Boston. TD Garden [announced yesterday]( her two Boston concerts this August will be postponed, after Madonna was [hospitalized by a bacterial infection late last month](. - If you bought a ticket, hold on to it. TD Garden officials say it will still be good for the rescheduled concerts (likely in 2024). - Woo! The city of Worcester is rolling out its own 311 mobile app today, "a one-stop resource for all non-emergency questions." Worcester officials say the app — which complements the city's weekday-only 311 phone hotline — will allow residents to submit 24/7 reports about things like potholes, trash and graffiti. Download it [here](. - Democratic socialists in disarray: Cambridge state Rep. Mike Connolly isn't giving the local chapter of Democratic Socialists of America the chance to expel him. As Politico [first reported yesterday]( Connolly is leaving the Boston DSA after the group [unveiled plans to vote to expel him over his support of some more moderate Democrats](. - What he's saying: "What's the point of continuing with an organization whose new leadership has made it clear they oppose seeking common ground with state leaders or building broader coalitions that actually benefit our constituents," Connolly told WBUR's Amy Sokolow in an interview, adding that such coalition-building is necessary to pass policies like [rent control](. - What the DSA says: In a statement, the Boston DSA said the motion to expel Connolly was introduced by some members, not the chapter's elected leadership. P.S.— A fellow Bay Stater (no, not [Jack Lepiarz]( will be on "America's Got Talent" again tonight. Fitchburg resident Lavender Darcangelo, a 27-year-old blind, autistic singer, will try to impress the judges on tonight's 8 p.m episode on NBC. And hey, if she can [win over a Bruins crowd]( I'm sure she can win over Simon Cowell. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Rescuers brace for more rain in the Northeast as storms swamp Vermont's capital]( President Biden approved Vermont's emergency declaration Tuesday morning as rescue teams in that state braced for more rain and flooding from a storm that left a trail of damage across the Northeast. [Read more.]( [Rescuers brace for more rain in the Northeast as storms swamp Vermont's capital]( President Biden approved Vermont's emergency declaration Tuesday morning as rescue teams in that state braced for more rain and flooding from a storm that left a trail of damage across the Northeast. [Read more.]( [Nonprofits face a wave of help requests as new driver's license law takes effect]( Workers at a Massachusetts nonprofit organization that provides services for immigrant communities say they’ve been slammed since a new law allowing all state residents to get a driver’s license, regardless of their immigration status, took effect earlier this month. [Read more.]( [Nonprofits face a wave of help requests as new driver's license law takes effect]( Workers at a Massachusetts nonprofit organization that provides services for immigrant communities say they’ve been slammed since a new law allowing all state residents to get a driver’s license, regardless of their immigration status, took effect earlier this month. [Read more.]( [Mistrial for man charged with killing a Weymouth police officer and a bystander]( After the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict, the Norfolk Superior Court declared a mistrial in the case of Emanuel Lopes, who's charged with murdering two people while fleeing a car crash in 2018. [Read more.]( [Mistrial for man charged with killing a Weymouth police officer and a bystander]( After the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict, the Norfolk Superior Court declared a mistrial in the case of Emanuel Lopes, who's charged with murdering two people while fleeing a car crash in 2018. [Read more.]( [Boston wants more EV chargers for on-street parking spots]( The city aims to support electric vehicle adoption across neighborhoods, especially for people who don't have driveways or garages and those who don't live or work near charging stations. [Read more.]( [Boston wants more EV chargers for on-street parking spots]( The city aims to support electric vehicle adoption across neighborhoods, especially for people who don't have driveways or garages and those who don't live or work near charging stations. [Read more.]( [The suspect in unsolved 1982 Tylenol poisonings died in Cambridge]( Seven people died after consuming cyanide-laced drugs in 1982. No one was charged for the poisonings, but Lewis served more than 12 years in prison for sending an extortion note to Johnson & Johnson, demanding $1 million to “stop the killing.” [Read more.]( [The suspect in unsolved 1982 Tylenol poisonings died in Cambridge]( Seven people died after consuming cyanide-laced drugs in 1982. No one was charged for the poisonings, but Lewis served more than 12 years in prison for sending an extortion note to Johnson & Johnson, demanding $1 million to “stop the killing.” [Read more.]( Anything Else? - It's worth one more reminder: Expect traffic from the Sumner Tunnel closure to get worse, after the July Fourth holiday week and a rainy Monday where many people may have worked from home. WBUR's Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez [reports the true “test” of the mitigation measures state agencies put together]( to prevent nightmarish commutes starts today through Thursday. - It's Prime Day: Amazon's annual two-day sale offers discounts on everything from hair dryers to paper towels. But are those deals actually worth it? Here are [five things to remember before you click that "Add to Cart" button](. - The Gloucester Stage Company is showing Zora Howard's play "Stew" — a Pulitzer Prize finalist about healing, conversation and cooking — now through July 23. Jacquinn Sinclair [reviews the family drama here](. - Maybe it's the weather or maybe it's the Federal Reserve, but Massachusetts businesses are still feeling pretty gloomy. WBUR's Zeninjor Enwemeka [reports mixed economic signals have led business confidence to remain low]( for the second month in a row.  What We're Reading 📚 This section is supported by [Beacon Hill Books]( a new independent bookstore. - The MBTA’s new leader is more optimistic about Boston’s subway than you are ([The Boston Globe]( - New York Times to Close Sports Desk, Rely on the Athletic for Daily Coverage ([The Wall Street Journal]( - He Worked for Years to Overturn Affirmative Action and Finally Won. He’s Not Done. ([The New York Times](  Tell Me Something Good [Nonprofit to buy more than 20 newspapers in Maine]( The head of the newspapers' parent company said the deal represents the best path forward by maintaining the group's independence and ensuring continuity for both news staff and newspaper readers. [Read more.]( [Nonprofit to buy more than 20 newspapers in Maine]( The head of the newspapers' parent company said the deal represents the best path forward by maintaining the group's independence and ensuring continuity for both news staff and newspaper readers. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [goes inside the drama on the Boston City Council]( with Boston Globe reporter Danny McDonald. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [The reward]( at the end of yesterday's rain. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. 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