Yes, yes, and yes. Those are the answers developers give communities when they want to get approval for their projects. But once those projects are underway, it seems, the deals that were written in stone begin to crumble like shale, such as the $1.6 billion makeover of downtown Quincy and the mixed-use development of the former South Weymouth Naval Air Base.

Since the government first targeted the air station for closure more than 25 years ago, finally shuttering it in 1997, there have been multitudes of starts and stops in plans for the base, from malls to housing to industrial uses. Finally, Florida-based developer LNR stepped forward with an ambitious, mixed-use plan that included single-family homes, condos, and apartments in all price ranges as well as retail and commercial space.

The agreement between LNR and South Shore Tri-Town Development Corp. – the quasi-public agency set up by the Legislature to represent the interests of Weymouth, Abington, and Rockland, the three towns where the air base lies – calls for certain building benchmarks and phases to be hit before proceeding elsewhere.

The deal also called for parks and green space as well as contributions to each town for services for schools, public works, and public safety. Well, that was then, this is now.

Mega-developer Starwood Land Ventures bought LNR earlier this year for $1.1 billion and inherited the contract with Tri-Town as well as the legislatively authorized development agreement. Starwood has hit the pause button on construction, looking for changes in the agreement, including eliminating the tie between residential construction and commercial building. They want to be able to build more homes without the obligation to create a minimum commercial space, a move they say would allow the venture to remain profitable.

The company wants the Legislature to void the benchmarks and loosen restrictions, as well as let each town collect taxes and fees from residents within their boundaries. No, no, no, says Tri-Town, whose members voted to find Starwood in breach of the agreement. Unless Starwood drops its push for the changes in 30 days and comes to Tri-Town to negotiate a new agreement, the panel says they have a number of options at their disposal, including kicking Starwood out as the developer.

Things aren’t quite to that level across the Fore River Bridge but there’s concern building about the downtown redevelopment that has turned Hancock Street and surrounding byways into a growing hole in the ground as buildings have been razed and excavation begun. Master developer StreetWorks has suspended construction because they say costs have spiraled beyond estimates and they are now looking for some givebacks from the city and unions before resuming.

The plan called for a complete face-lift of the dowdy downtown with housing, stores, restaurants, office space, as well as a new pedestrian plaza between City Hall and the historic Church of Presidents, creating a little SoHo south of Boston. There’s even a plan to reroute a brook.

StreetWorks appeared to agree to whatever was asked of them: $30 million for district improvement funds? Absolutely. Contributions to Quincy’s affordable housing trust fund? Where do we send the check? Exclusive use of unions for construction jobs for the first five buildings and prevailing wages? Sure, why wouldn’t we do that?

Now StreetWorks, which has been hit with several non-payment claims by subcontractors, is asking the city to amend the agreement, claiming costs in the Boston area have skyrocketed and the project is unsustainable. A representative claims construction prices are 37 percent over what they were when the agreement was first signed in 2010, though those the figures were disputed and since walked back by StreetWorks. Mayor Thomas Koch, whose legacy hangs in the balance, says he’s amenable to letting the developer off the hook for those promises and several others to get the project rebooted, as long as it doesn’t cost the city anything.

The City Council is not so sure. They want assurances that the changes are not meant to fatten StreetWorks wallet. “We’ll have to make sure whatever we’re doing here is helping the ultimate goal of the redevelopment of downtown, and we’re not simply re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic,” said Councilor Joseph Finn.

In the meantime, all the drama shows that, in any relationship, saying yes is the easy part. Staying committed has a price.

–JACK SULLIVAN    

BEACON HILL

In the latest jaw-dropping development in the case of missing Fitchburg 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver, officials say a state social worker not only failed to carry out monthly visits to the family but recommended they be released from state oversight.

If a ballot initiative is what it takes to get the Legislature to finally pass a bottle bill before voters would weigh in, so be it, says The Berkshire Eagle.

MUNICIPAL MATTERS

A former Brockton man has filed a class action suit against the city claiming hiring in the Department of Public Works is discriminatory, favoring white applicants over people of color in the city with a large minority population.

Middleboro selectmen vote to display an empty chair at Town Meeting in recognition of soldiersmissing in action or held as prisoners of warover the years, the 50th town in the state to approve the action.

Incoming Boston Mayor Marty Walsh wonders why outgoing Mayor Tom Menino is in such a rush to approve development projects.

Walsh mulls cabinet appointments as the exodus of Menino aides begins.

NATIONAL POLITICS/WASHINGTON

The National Security Agency may get its wings clipped, Time reports.

The White House solves its Max Baucus problem by shipping the Montana senator overseas, to China.

Gail Collins casts a wary eye on New Jersey‘s internet gambling bid, which she fears other states will imitate: “There is no possible way the country could be improved by giving people a greatly expanded freedom to gamble for money in their pajamas.”

ELECTIONS

Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker releases plan on homelessness, the Associated Press reports. The plan drops a residency requirement Baker had floated four years ago.

Democratic hopeful Juliette Kayyem lays out her climate change platform on Blue Mass Group.

The Globe says campaign donors are thus far taking a ho-hum approach to the gubernatorial field.

Katherine Clark’s victory in the Fifth Congressional District continues a string of 92 consecutive US House wins for Democrats and losses for Republicans in Massachusetts, WBUR reports.

Scott Brown formally moves to New Hampshire.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

Target is investigating a security breach that may have resulted in the theft of the credit and debit card information for millions of its customers, the New York Times reports. U.S. News & World Report says it could affect as many as 40 million customers who made purchases between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15, the height of the holiday shopping season.

State tax collections are way up for 2014 and economic recovery continues strong.

EDUCATION

A requirement sure to be a hit: Recess is now mandatory in the Boston schools.

Today’s college students aren’t up to the pressures of work at elite universities, experts find: Exhibit A: Eldo Kim

HEALTH CARE

The state’s Health Policy Commission released a report showing Massachusetts residents spend more per capita on health care than any other state in the country.

TRANSPORTATION

MBTA officials are exploring a 5 percent fare increase in July and other changes to the entire fare structure, the Gloucester Times reports.

Former governor Michael Dukakis takes the train to Lynn and tells business leaders inflated price tags for transportation projects are slowing the pace of development, the Item reports.

ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT

Salem News columnist Brian Watson asks why the regulatory process for Cape Wind takes a decade while the process for a natural gas-fired power plant in Salem is on a fast track.

Newburyport legislators ask the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to shut down the Seabrook nuclear power plant.

Because the cost of picking up recycling bins is high and so little is put in them, Houston is considering doing away with the bins, Governing reports.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Middlesex DA Marian Ryan agreed with the findings of an outside review that concluded her office erred in its handling of the domestic violence case of accused murderer Jared Remy.

The former director of Lawrence’s Information Technology division is sentenced to a year in prison for cheating the department out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, the Eagle-Tribune reports.

Weymouth police say a man busted for dealing heroin burned his fingertips so detectives couldn’t get his fingerprints for identification.

MEDIA

The Boston Business Journal is the latest to question circulation numbers for the Globe and other newspapers that count digital subscribers two and perhaps as many as three times.

The Washington Post reports that hackers gained access to the newspaper’s servers and took employee passwords.