For-profit schools sue state over new regulations

BOSTON — An association representing for-profit schools is suing Attorney General Martha Coakley over new regulations they say are unconstitutional.

Coakley says the regulations require for-profit and occupational schools to provide accurate information to the public while prohibiting misleading advertising and addressing unfair lending practices.

The Massachusetts Association of Private Career School filed a complaint in federal court, arguing the rules impose "a new and unworkable regulatory regime on for-profit educational institutions that is unnecessary, overly burdensome, and in many aspects, impossible to satisfy."

The group also argues the regulations are a violation of the First Amendment right to free speech by compelling certain speech while restraining other speech.

Coakley says the regulations will help protect students by requiring schools disclose in advertisements and recruitment materials information about tuition and fees, placement statistics and graduation rates.

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Lovely flats in Chelsea shoe factory

This sunny corner unit at the Spencer Lofts in Chelsea has 10 large windows and 15-foot ceilings in a building that used to be a Buster Brown shoe factory.

The price of Unit 210 is just $289,000, and that includes two deeded outdoor parking spaces.

Built, in 1910, the brick factory building housed the Brown Shoe Co. before being converted into 100 condos in 2004. Along the ground floor is an attached art gallery that shows local artists, a number of whom live in the complex.

The 1,126-square-foot unit has an open floor plan with the bedroom set off by a large walk-in closet.

You enter into an open ­living/dining area with a wall of 10-foot-high windows and a light/fan hanging from 15-foot ceilings. Jelly-jar lamps add to the industrial feel, along with exposed ductwork bracketed wood posts and concrete floors.

To the right is a galley kitchen with Ikea wood and frosted cabinets, Formica counters, stainless-steel Frigidaire gas stove and refrigerator, and a Kitchen­Aid dishwasher that was added in 2009.

The adjacent full bathroom has a white porcelain sink, a white-tiled tub and shower, and also has a stacked Kenmore washer/dryer. There's additional storage above the bathroom, which also holds the unit's just-replaced electric water heater and gas-fired heating and central air conditioning system.

On the wall separating the living area from the bedroom is built-in shelving.

A large walk-in closet with built-in wardrobes on either side screens the corner bedroom, with walls of windows on two sides.

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Genesis creates bible on value

If you are in the market for a mid-sized luxury car that is equipped like a Lexus, looks like a BMW and feels like an Audi, with a lower price tag, look no further than the 2015 Hyundai Genesis AWD.

At just $52,450 fully loaded, the Genesis delivers posh luxury at a modest price. While the Korean manufacturer is not known for high-end vehicles like its Japanese and German counterparts, Hyundai makes a solid effort to continue to gain footing in this category.

Beginning with the heads-up display, which projects speed limit and current speed on the windshield, the Genesis sports features only seen in superior automobiles. The display is adjustable for driver height, making it easier for you to monitor your speed while keeping your eyes on the road.

Like its opulent counterparts, the Genesis has heated and ventilated 12-way-adjustable ultra leather power seats and a supremely comfortable burlwood-framed cabin. The steering wheel has controls for volume, phone and adjusting the cruise control. A large power tilt and slide sunroof lets light in when you want it.

The Genesis, of course, has a proximity key with push-button start — a feature quickly becoming a must in cars over $20,000. Like its pricey rivals, the Hyundai even has puddle lights, a bat signal-like projection from the side view mirrors that lights up the ground with the car moniker.

The mirrors also have safety features such as blind-spot detection and will alert you to crossing traffic.

The Genesis has lane departure detection, which can warn you when you drift. And the smart cruise control keeps the car from gaining on the car in front of it, modifying the speed to match it.

Perhaps the Genesis' best feature is the auto emergency braking, which uses both cameras and radar sensors to keep the vehicle from colliding with another, even if the driver isn't paying attention.

The handling on this car is excellent. A revamped high-performance system with gas shock absorbers translates power to the 18-inch alloy wheels with precision. Driving this car creates a feeling of balance that is expected in a high-end car.

Hyundai tops this car off with a potent Lexicon 17-speaker sound system commanded by a 9.2-inch touchscreen, which also controls the GPS. Menus on the system make sense — an attribute often overlooked even in the luxury market.

The only letdown compared to its higher-priced competition was in performance. While the Genesis' 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters provides a sporty driving experience, the thrust will not impress as much as its competition. Coupled with the fact that the accelerator pedal does not have much depth to it, the Genesis feels like it has little less zip.

Acceleration aside, the Genesis is an excellent value and is well on its way to proving it belongs in the luxury class.

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'World News Tonight' anchor David Muir recalls his move from local Boston news

David Muir recently took over the chair at ABC's "World News Tonight," joining the elite club of evening news anchors -- at an age, 40, that is decidedly younger than the rest. He was first noticed in Variety back in July 2003, when he left a gig as a reporter at Boston's WCVB TV to anchor ABC's overnight broadcast.

What was working at WCVB like?

I felt like the luckiest kid in the world when I landed that job. Anyone who knows the industry (there) will remember the anchor team of Chet Curtis and Natalie Jacobson. They were really known for their sign-on as "Chet and Nat." Their standards were extraordinarily high … I remember my first live report, and you do your return, "Chet and Nat, back to you." I felt so good, and then a moment later thought, "Was that too presumptuous to send it back to them in that tone?" When I got to the newsroom, I went to Natalie and I said, "Was that OK?" She looked at me. "Of course, you're part of the team."

Were you aware of your first mention in Variety?

I try not to look at much coverage about me in this job. I try to keep my head down. But I'm honored it was covered.

Was life as hectic for you then as it must be for you now?

It was a different kind of hectic. At that time, Boston was one of the greatest markets to cover. Viewers wanted information on politics, but also the Red Sox and the Patriots. Snowstorms were outsized, too. It was a great training ground.

How did it feel when you got the call to go to a national network?

Network news was always my dream, but it wasn't as though I planned on it happening that quickly. There were a couple of calls of interest, and I felt privileged to have had those calls.

What did it take to adjust to life in New York City?

A Metrocard. I still use it after the show is over. Couldn't live without it.

Did you ever imagine anchoring an evening newscast was in your future?

Oh, no. I did grow up as a 12-year-old boy in upstate New York who would, playing at the end of the day, excuse myself from the backyard to go and watch the evening news. Peter Jennings was my choice, and I even remember then thinking that this guy is the James Bond of the evening news. I never dreamed I would be sitting in his chair one day. I still don't think it has set in.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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Massachusetts electric rates shoot up 37 percent

BOSTON — Many Massachusetts households are going to see their electric bills shoot up 37 percent this winter, a rate increase that some advocates fear will put additional strain on low-income families.

State regulators approved the increase for National Grid household customers that would mean an average of $33 per month more for the typical residential customer and would push a typical monthly bill higher than $150.

Large-business customers will see even higher increases.

National Grid has almost 1.3 million residential and business electric customers in Massachusetts. The new rates take effect in November.

"This is pretty bad, and it's going to really have a bearing on a lot of Massachusetts households' abilities to just make ends meet this winter," John Howat, senior energy analyst at the National Consumer Law Center in Boston, told The Boston Globe.

The utility blame the rate hikes on the cost of buying electricity from power plants, which has soared because of an increased demand for natural gas used to generate electricity.

"This is something that's not within National Grid's control," spokesman Jake Navarro said. "This is a market-based problem."

The rate hikes will also hurt businesses.

"It's a very difficult thing, particularly for small businesses at a time when they're already struggling with the highest health care costs in the country and soon to be highest minimum wage," Jon Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, told the Boston Herald. "All these things are required costs of doing business, and it's very difficult to be profitable."

NStar, with more than 1.1 million customers in the state, and Western Massachusetts Electric Co., with about 213,000 customers, also expect to seek rate increases, a spokesman said.

Those companies, both owned by Northeast Utilities, won't file their winter rate requests until later this fall.

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Renters show appetite for luxury

Renters are snapping up the first wave of new luxury apartment buildings in the Hub even as a second wave of high-end rentals are starting to pre-lease.

"People ask how many more people can afford these rents, but there are a lot of well-paid, dual-income households who can," said Travis D'Amato, a senior vice president at Jones Lang LaSalle who focuses on multihousing. "We've gained 67,000 new jobs since the bottom of the recession and Boston's population is growing 1 percent a year. The rental base is increasing."

D'Amato believes that 8,800 new Hub apartments already completed or scheduled to be by 2017 will not be enough to meet demand. First-wave projects such as 315 on A and the Kensington are nearly full, but other buildings are offering concessions to stay on target for leasing up within a year of opening.

"It's marketing magic," D'Amato said. "You get people in the door with one or two months free but they're still getting the high monthly rents over the life of the lease."

High-end buildings such as Avalon Exeter have been attracting empty nesters.

"Many of these renters still own properties on the Cape or in Florida, but want to rent in the city," said Dennis Gramolini, community manager of Avalon Exeter.

Avalon Exeter, which is about 55 percent leased, has rents ranging from $2,600 to more than $13,000. A 1,621-square-foot 27th-floor two-bedroom penthouse with panoramic views of the Back Bay and Charles River on two sides just rented for $12,800 a month

"The first wave of luxury apartments in Boston is doing well because it addressed the pent-up demand from the years that there was no new production," said Michael Roberts, vice present of development for AvalonBay Communities. "The second wave is all about the new demographics of the city and the growth of the local economy."

Along with baby boomers, a big part of new urban demographic is the millennials, young professionals between 25 and 35.

"Millennials are willing to pay a higher percentage of their income for rent because many don't have cars, but they need apartments near public transportation," D'Amato said.

Avalon Bay is targeting millennials with its new Ava brand in a 398-unit Theater District project under construction as well as a nearly completed 250-apartment building in Somerville's Assembly Row. The Ava brand features Twitter walls, modern interior design and social spaces that encourage networking.

The upcoming 378-unit Troy Boston in the South End will have an eco-friendly focus much like 315 on A.

The neighboring Ink Block's 392 apartments, on the former site of the Boston Herald, will be in three buildings, each with a unique look.

"1 Ink will have sophisticated Euro-style interiors, 2 Ink will be more edgy and colorful and 3 Ink will use a lot of natural materials," said Ted Tye, managing partner of National Development, who said pre-leasing will start next week for an early 2015 opening. "We are taking a different approach to appeal to a wide variety of renters."

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Architects eye ‘Allston Esplanade’ with Pike redo

Boston Society of Architects members are promoting an "Allston Esplanade" along the Charles River as an offshoot of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation's planned $260 million Mass Pike Allston interchange realignment.

A pair of Boston Society of Architects (BSA) teams developed two plans for the three-plus acres of parkland to spur MassDOT to consider the larger implications of its project — beyond roadway changes — once it opens up new land for redevelopment, according to architect and BSA vice president Tim Love.

"They're both proposals that have lots of advantages and lots of interesting ideas that we think MassDOT should consider very seriously," he said. "Their mission is to redesign the highway interchange. We're saying, 'Here are some issues we think you should think about, too.'"

The proposals involve relocating Soldiers Field Road away from the Charles, creating a river crossing for cyclists and pedestrians and a new MBTA station.

"It was a useful exercise for us to come in and show MassDOT what kind of neighborhood could result from what they're doing," Love said. "The visions … are realistic and financeable through the value of the real estate."

The interchange project is set to start in early 2017. MassDOT did not respond to Herald inquiries.

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Boston has designs on Huntington

It's home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, New England Conservatory, Huntington Theatre Co., Northeastern University, Museum of Fine Arts, Massachusetts College of Art and Design and Wentworth Institute of Technology.

And now the Boston Redevelopment Authority wants the Huntington Avenue area, known as the "Avenue of the Arts," to live up to that institutional weight in terms of urban design.

The city's planning and economic development agency is seeking proposals to develop design guidelines that will elevate the area's character in terms of future development and a more pedestrian-friendly streetscape.

Its solicitation comes in the wake of zoning relief and conceptual approval granted last year for future projects — individual components of which still need BRA approval — that will effect the Avenue of the Arts, which runs from Massachusetts Avenue to Longwood Avenue, and the immediate surrounding area.

"The idea is to really give a more coherent urban character for this most important avenue," said Kairos Shen, director of planning at the BRA, who conceded it's "not particularly beautiful" now.

Projects set to affect the area include Wentworth's redevelopment of Sweeney Field at 500 Huntington Ave. into a 650,000-square-foot research and academic complex. Northeastern's master plan includes 2 million-plus square feet of new academic, student life, housing and athletic space. The final location and appearance of those buildings, open spaces and public amenities still are subject to BRA approval.

"There could be better coordination among the projects," Shen said. "These guidelines will help us coordinate the specific design and development review."

Future MFA projects include infilling or enclosing the west courtyard, a new wing on the west side of the museum, upgrading the School of the MFA, a new underground parking garage and landscaping.

The BRA study is in line with Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh's focus on the arts and culture in his administration and the city. Walsh this week named Julie Burros as Boston's first cabinet-level chief of arts and culture, who will oversee the creation of a long-term cultural plan for the city and increase diversity and inclusion in the arts and secure funding.

The planned study was welcomed by the MFA, which asked the BRA to implement a collaborative approach to the future planning of the Avenue of the Arts in August 2013, according to spokeswoman Karen Frascona. "The MFA is pleased that Mayor Martin Walsh and the BRA have authorized a comprehensive planning process, and we look forward to working with our neighbors on a long-term plan for the area," she said.

A spokesman for the BSO said it is "very encouraged by the renewed focus on this incredibly vibrant neighborhood."

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Partners HealthCare agrees to price caps in new deal

Lawrence Memorial and Melrose-Wakefield hospitals would cap prices for 61⁄2 years under a revised agreement between Attorney General Martha Coakley and Partners HealthCare, which is planning to acquire the two medical centers along with South Shore Hospital.

Partners also agreed to maintain the same level of psychiatric and behavioral health at its Hallmark and North Shore hospitals for five years, according to Coakley's office.

"These additional concessions will mitigate the potential for higher prices related to this transaction and ensure that mental health treatment remains fully accessible to the surrounding community," Coakley said in a statement.

The state's Health Policy Commission has warned that the Partners takeover of the three hospitals would spike costs by between $38.5 million and $49 million for the state's top three insurance companies.

"I commend the attorney general for pushing Partners to mitigate the price impact of the Hallmark transaction, one of the major concerns identified in our report," said Dr. Stuart Altman, chairman of the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission. "I look forward to learning more details as we review the amended consent judgment and the attorney general's response to the public comments."

Partners — the health care behemoth that owns Massachusetts General, Brigham and Women's and six other acute care facilities and employs some 6,500 doctors — has entered into a settlement with Coakley to avoid an antitrust investigation by her office.

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Coakley: Partners agrees to price cap under deal

BOSTON — Attorney General Martha Coakley said Partners HealthCare has agreed to cap prices at Hallmark Health Centers for six and a half years if it's allowed to acquire Hallmark under a revised deal.

Coakley's office renegotiated the agreement after the state's Health Policy Commission criticized part of the original deal to allow Partners to acquire Hallmark, which owns Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Medford and Melrose-Wakefield Hospital.

The original agreement included a provision that allowed Coakley and Partners to reopen negotiations if the commission determined there would be a "likelihood of materially increased prices" as a result of Partners' acquisition of Hallmark.

Coakley said Thursday that her office pushed for the cap. The agreement is part of Coakley's anti-trust investigation into Partners.

Coakley said Partners also has jointly agreed to maintain the current level of psychiatric and behavioral health services at its Hallmark and North Shore facilities.

"These additional concessions will mitigate the potential for higher prices related to this transaction and ensure that mental health treatment remains fully accessible to the surrounding community," Coakley said Thursday in a written statement.

The revised agreement was filed in Suffolk Superior Court on Thursday. Coakley said the amended consent judgment is expected to be considered by Judge Janet Sanders. The next court date is Monday.

If approved by the court, the consent judgment will also resolve the antitrust investigation by Coakley's office into Partners and its acquisition of South Shore Hospital.

Coakley also said Thursday that her office filed its formal response to the more than 100 comments received as part of the public comment period ordered by the court.

Coakley, who is running for governor, has been criticized over the deal by her political rivals.

Republican candidate for governor Charlie Baker, the former head of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, has said the agreement is too complicated and too hard to enforce.

Baker has said the deal should have focused on two or three items, like requiring Partners to post the prices of its medical services and freezing any expansion of its physician network.

Under the agreement a monitor — selected by Coakley's office and paid for by Partners — will ensure that Partners complies with the terms of the consent judgment for the duration of the agreement.

If Partners violates the terms of the consent judgment, the organization could be held in contempt of court and face penalties, Coakley has said.

Partners HealthCare is Massachusetts' largest hospital and physicians' network.

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