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Boston's Expansion Mode Creates 8,700 Jobs

 

            Greater Boston's development boom is putting more people to work, fueling one of the biggest recoveries in construction jobs in the nation, according to a new report.


 
            The Boston, Cambridge and Quincy metro area has added 8,700 jobs since August 2012, a 16 percent jump that was second only to the 8,900 jobs added in the greater Los Angeles area, according to a report released yesterday by the Associated     General Contractors of America. The report was based on an analysis of federal employment data, the AGC of America said.
 
            Local construction groups weren't surprised by the numbers, citing big projects with both residential and commercial components that are sprouting up all over the place.
 
            "You look at Assembly Row, you look at the Seaport District, there are cranes everywhere. The growth is tremendous," said Gerry-Lynn Darcy, CEO of the Builders and Remodelers of Greater Boston. "The demand has far surpassed the supply."
 
And, she expects the increase in construction jobs to continue, thanks to the large number of projects that are in the works.
 
            "Everything suggests that we are now going into an expansion mode," she said.
 
            So far this year, the Boston Redevelopment authority has approved 38.9 million square feet of development worth an estimated $13.5 billion, according to BRA figures.
 
            "We have great resources in Boston," said Darcy, adding that the kind of development taking place now bodes well for the future of the city.
 
            "We have a lot of mixed-use development," she said. "We're very cutting edge, as a community, as a city."
 
            Mary Gately, director of market services for the AGC of Massachusetts, said developments in Kendall Square, Quincy center and the Seaport District are especially encouraging for the industry.
 
            "These are big projects going on, and they take a lot of manpower," she said. "We have seen a remarkable increase since 2011."
 
Courtesy of Jordan Graham
See more at: http://bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/2013/09/bostonbuilding_boom_creates_8700_jobs#sthash.aIJz1jFk.dpuf