“We will fight this tooth and nail, to the last man,” said Alex Mancebo, a Back Bay resident. “If the applicants want to endure that, we’re ready to do it. We live here.”
This year’s funding is composed of around $489,000 in grants from the council’s annual budget, leaving just under $7,000 available for later use. Applicants included local writing contest Boston in 100 Words, City Ballet of Boston and Chinatown’s Pao Arts Center.
Boston was ranked third most intensely gentrified city in the United States between 2013-2017. Neighborhoods like East Boston, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, Mattapan, Hyde Park and South Boston were most affected.
Whether the new hires will be sustainable for the economy and whether Amazon’s growth will have a negative impact on local businesses after the city opens back up has yet to be seen. But it is certain we must hold these giants to higher standards, or they will continue doing good with ulterior motives.
The City of Boston began offering free two-hour parking this Saturday, dubbed Small Business Saturday in the United States, and will continue doing so until Dec. 26, according to a City press release.
