Bank leaders spoke at the TD Garden recently about the market's economic outlook for 2020
Any sports fan, even those outside the Boston area, can tell you how big of a deal it is to have the naming rights for the TD Garden, home to both the Bruins and Celtics, two of sports' most storied franchises.
But TD Bank isn't the type of institution that buys the rights to the Garden and is satisfied with just that. The values and intended impact on the local community for the Garden and its parent company, Delaware North, must also be aligned with what drives TD.
With this in mind, some of the Bank's regional leaders, TD Garden's President Amy Latimer, and local customers gathered at the Garden to talk about the city's outlook for 2020 and what's being done to reinvest in the community and its people.
Late last year, TD Garden finished the latest phase of a $1.5 billion project to revitalize the area around the former Boston Garden. The Causeway project has already brought 2,000 construction jobs to the area, Latimer explained, with thousands more expected once it's complete.
When finished, residents can expect more than 1.5 million square feet of retail, housing and office space.
Furthermore, Latimer said there are 500 to 600 part-time jobs that the Garden brings in every season, jobs that are crucial so that fans get a legendary experience.
Adding quality jobs was also a topic of discussion for Steve Webb, Regional President for Southern New England at TD Bank, when he spoke about the Bank's commitment this year to attracting top talent to Boston, one of the top 10 job markets in the country.
"Boston is a tech-savvy city, rich with innovation and brilliant people driving growth. But, it's also a city built on loyalty, trust and customers you treat like family, and that's where TD is head and shoulders above the competition," Webb said. "We use our brand recognition and the values we stand for to help attract top talent. What's great about our relationship with the TD Garden is that they feel the same bond with their customers and employees."
But the similarities aren't all positive. Both the Garden and TD struggle with a pricey housing market, specifically where employees will live once hired.
Sustainability and helping out those of low-to-moderate income, a foundational pillar at TD, was also discussed at the event. Three nonprofits work with the Garden, including one that hosts upwards of 1,000 people during the Thanksgiving holiday.
Webb also spoke about how TD is supporting the local community through the TD Ready Commitment and Ready Challenge, which just donated $10 million in grants to innovative healthcare organizations in both the U.S. and Canada helping the underserved, including Bay State Health, in western Massachusetts.
As the Causeway project progresses, both TD Garden and TD Bank will continue to figure out ways to take advantage of the city's assets, like its heavy concentration of higher education institutions and research facilities, and develop plans for combating regional challenges like transportation and the cost of housing.
"Local leaders need to take it upon themselves to make a difference in the communities they serve," Webb said. "TD Bank and TD Garden are doing just that by truly investing and gaining a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges within this ever-growing market."