The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority has given up its long effort to pursue a high-cost development of a piece of land in South Boston, after more than a year of controversy over the developer selection process.
Developers interested in the project claimed that it would have created many jobs, and their proposals included a variety of buildings and amenities such as offices, grocery stores, hotels, libraries, health centers, green spaces, and art galleries.
An investigation led by interim Executive Director Gloria Larson revealed that the MCCA did not conduct a competitive, fair, and transparent bidding process for the over six 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 obtained through eminent domain, has been embroiled in scandal for over a year. The controversy started last February when South Boston officials intervened to stop the authority from proceeding with development under false pretenses.
Subsequently, the authority scrapped its initial bidding process and issued a new request for proposals from companies interested in developing the land. On Thursday, the MCCA Board also scrapped the second bid.
“I understand that a significant amount of time and resources were invested here. It is incredibly frustrating and upsetting for all of us,” stated Emme Handy, chair of the board who was appointed by Gov. Maura Healey when she revamped the board last summer.
Handy stated that the new board and Larson, who is serving in an interim capacity after long-time Executive Director David Gibbons resigned amidst controversy, are working to address issues from the past.
“Ultimately, internally, we did not handle this fairly and therefore we need to cancel the process,” Handy explained.
The board unanimously voted to cancel the RFP process.
