Boston

NEWTON, MA-Senior Housing Properties Trust spends $61 million for 18 Alterra Healthcare Corp. properties in 10 states across the US and provides Alterra with a $6.9 million financing package. Alterra filed for bankruptcy protection in January.

DEDHAM, MA-The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority puts out a request for proposal for a developer to acquire and develop a 37-acre parcel that once served as a train yard on the Readville-Dedham line. The agency says that interest in the site is high.

TAUNTON, MA-New England Ice Cream Corp. acquires a 54,000-sf manufacturing/distribution facility for $3.4 million from Keller/Davis Co. New England Ice Cream currently has multiple locations and it will use the new building to consolidate its operations.

NORTHBOROUGH, MA-41 Lyman St. secures $3.3 million in financing. The single-tenant office building is leased by APX Central Inc., a subsidiary of Western Parcel Express Inc. It was the quality of the tenant that encouraged a local bank to go through with the deal.

BOSTON-Edward A. Fish Associates and the Asian Community Development Corp. begins construction on the Metropolitan, a 251-unit project that is being developed through a public/private partnership on a 43,860 sf parcel in Chinatown.

BOSTON-The state legislature passes the omnibus housing bill, which includes a financing alternative for municipalities to fund capital improvements. After six years, NAIOP is thrilled that the local developmental tool finally made it through.