CAMBRIDGE—An existential debate is ongoing in the city over bank branches: "The company's take on banks lines up with that of city councillor Leland Cheung on why the increase in bank branches – despite their appeal to landlords seeking stable renters – is bad for a neighborhood." [Day]
__
HUB-WIDE—It's (relatively) good news for tenants: "Vacancy rates in the region increased by 0.2 percentage points to 3.8 percent in the July-through-September period as 1,100 new apartment units hit the market, the survey said. The vacancy rate is expected to approach 4 percent by year's end as another 600 units are scheduled to be delivered in Greater Boston through the end of December, researchers found." [Biz Journal]
__
CAMBRIDGE—Well, hell's bells! "Harvard University has resorted to legal action to settle a dispute over a cracked church bell whose morning tolls were the bane of many a bleary-eyed freshman. The Ivy League school is suing Chime Master Systems, accusing the Ohio company of installing a defective clapper that allegedly caused the almost 5,000-pound Harvard Yard bell to crack in 2011 and produce an 'abnormally loud and noticeably harsh' sound when rung..." [Herald]
Filed under: