South Coast Today - New Gateway Cities institute to launch Wednesday

The push by Gateway Cities to gain statewide clout is becoming institutionalized — literally — with the launch of a new policy institute.

Mass Inc., the think tank that first coined the "Gateway Cities" term in 2007 with a policy paper calling on the state to reinvest in its depressed industrialized urban centers, will launch the new Gateway Cities Innovation Institute on Wednesday with a reception that is already at capacity.

"We planned it as a low-key event but there's been an incredible amount of buzz," said Benjamin Forman, the new executive director of the institute, who said about 150 people have signed up for the 2 p.m. Statehouse reception so far.