Convention Center drops Southie project
Review finds bid process not ‘fair’ or ‘transparent’
The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority on Thursday abandoned its lengthy attempt to pursue a big-budget development of a parcel of land in South Boston, after over a year of drama surrounding the process of choosing a developer.
Interested developers said their project would have brought thousands of jobs, and their plans included everything from life science buildings, office spaces, grocery stores, hotels, libraries, community health centers, green space and art galleries.
A review conducted by interim Executive Director
Gloria Larson found the MCCA did not conduct a “competitive, fair and transparent” bidding process for the six-plus acres of land near the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.
The valuable piece of state-owned land on D and E Streets in South Boston, which was taken by eminent domain, has been wrapped up in scandal for over a year, starting last February when South Boston electeds stepped in to stop the authority from moving forward with development under “false pretenses.”
In the time since, the authority canceled its first bidding process and issued another request for proposals from companies looking to build on the land. On Thursday, the MCCA Board canceled the second bid as well.
“I know there was a ton of time and resources invested here. And it is incredibly frustrating and upsetting to us all,” said Emme Handy, chair of the board who was appointed by Gov. Maura Healey when the governor overhauled the board last summer.
Handy said the new board and Larson — who is serving in an interim role after longtime Executive Director David Gibbons stepped down amidst controversy — are trying to “rectify issues that we had learned about, issues from the past.”
“Ultimately, internally, we did not handle this fairly and therefore we need to cancel the process,” Handy said.
The board voted unanimously to cancel the RFP process.