Bloomingdale's in talks for store in Prudential Center

Bloomingdale's is in talks with Boston Properties to be the retail centerpiece of a proposed Prudential Center tower, according to a local official briefed on the matter. Bloomingdale's said the company does not comment on prospective locations. Andy LaGrega, of Wilder Cos., a Boston development firm, said Bloomingdale's, which already has a store in Chestnut Hill, has been trying to open a store in Boston since 2004, when the old New England Life building was being transformed into The Newbury. The developers could not accommodate the space Bloomingdale's needed, but the clothier remained interested in moving to the city. The Prudential Center has more than 75 shops and restaurants including Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, and Sephora. (Angel Jennings)

Attorney General Martha Coakley's office is opposing a request from New England Gas Co. to raise its distribution rate by $5.6 million, or about 23 percent, partly because the increase would hit customers at the height of the heating season. For instance, a typical Fall River residential heating customer could see an increase of about $10 per month. Representatives for Coakley were scheduled to voice their disapproval at a hearing last night in Fall River, and again tonight in North Attleborough, said a Coakley spokeswoman. Jody Stiefel, manager of regulatory affairs for New England Gas, said that prior to last year, his company had not had a rate increase in a decade. Stiefel said the utility wants to get its "rates adjusted to make a reasonable rate of return." New England Gas serves about 55,000 customers in Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, Westport, North Attleborough, and Plainville. (Erin Ailworth)

As airlines struggling with high fuel costs cut flights next quarter, T.F. Green Airport's seat capacity is scheduled to decline 9.7 percent in October, 6.5 percent in November, and 3.2 percent in December, compared with the same months last year, the airport said. American Airlines Inc. will stop serving the Warwick, R.I., airport in November, removing 132 seats that would have been available on departing flights each weekday. Continental Airlines Inc. is the only carrier at T.F. Green that is bucking the trend by slightly increasing its seat capacity all three months - by 32 daily seats in October, 21 in November, and 122 in December - by using wider aircraft on the route to Newark. (Nicole C. Wong)

The average price for a gallon of gasoline in Massachusetts fell 5 cents, the ninth straight week of price declines, AAA Southern New England said. AAA said its survey found self-serve, regular unleaded averaging $3.55 per gallon 53 cents less than the record $4.08 on July 7. AAA said the state is "currently 10 cents below the national average for regular unleaded of $3.65." (Chris Reidy)

Bedford's iRobot Corp., which makes household and military robots, said it has agreed to buy North Carolina-based Nekton Research LLC, a maker of unmanned underwater robots and technology company. Terms include a cash payment of $10 million with the potential for another $5 million, based on certain business and financial milestones, iRobot said. The transaction is expected to close by Friday, iRobot said. (Chris Reidy)

Parexel International Corp. a tester of experimental medicines for drug makers, reduced its earnings forecast while raising its revenue projection for the 2009 fiscal year after completing its purchase of computer software-maker ClinPhone PLC. Parexel anticipates earnings per share of 20 to 21 cents in the first quarter ending Sept. 30. That includes the effects of the purchase and a one-time charge of about 2 cents a share from writing off unamortized loan fees and interest rate hedges, the Waltham-based company said. Previously, Parexel forecast 23 to 25 cents a share. The company reduced its fiscal year earnings to a $1.09 to $1.17 a share from $1.15 to $1.25 a share. (Bloomberg)

Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, an arm of the German conglomerate, said it formally opened a 115,000-square-foot addition to its manufacturing plant in Walpole. Siemens said it invested more than $100 million in the addition, which is expected to create more than 70 jobs. The new space will enable the site to nearly double production capacity, allowing it to produce more than 1 billion diagnostic tests. (Robert Weisman)