Update: UMass Boston Board of Trustees and members of UMass building authority will vote and select a developer for the Bayside Expo property on Thursday, February 14th.
The residents of Dorchester and South Boston have been waiting with bated breath to see what will become of the now empty lot of land that was once the Bayside Expo Center site.
More than a year of launching its search, UMass Boston will choose a winning bid to develop the 20-acre Bayside Expo Center site. According to an article in The Boston Globe by Tim Logan back in September, UMass Boston has narrowed it down to just a handful of developers and is hoping to make the decision Thursday. According to the article, UMass is envisioning, a potpourri if you will, of housing, retail, restaurants similar to a Kendall Square. Ideally UMass would like a proposal that would include growth for the university to expand in the next few decades.
The Boston Business Journal is reporting that UMass faculty is planning a protest of the sale or lease of the property stating it could do long term damage to the university. You can read more about this here!
This land has not been without controversy
To refresh your memory, this lot of land was considered a potential spot for the Olympic Village as part of Boston 2024 and just recently Bob Kraft was hoping for a New England Revolution soccer stadium. The proposal was shutdown after lack of transparency and input from the public and local elected officials.
This property is right across the way from the new development taking over the Boston Globe site on Morrissey Blvd. in addition to the renovation of the Mary Ellen McCormack Housing Development in Southie.
Finger’s crossed they fix the rotary from hell!
Let us leave you with this, Rob Griffin from the real estate firm Newmark Knight Frank who was hired to handle the sale told the Globe, “I’m as excited about this as anything since the Seaport got started,” Griffin said. “It’s a blank canvas.” Oh boy, let’s hope this new project is planned a little bit better!
The state, the City, and residents and elected officials in neighboring parts of Dorchester and South Boston will most likely need to weigh in on the proposed project.
More to follow!
Maureen Dahill is the editor of Caught in Southie and a lifelong resident of South Boston sometimes mistaken for a yuppie. Co-host of Caught Up, storyteller, lover of red wine and binge watching TV series. Mrs. Peter G. Follow her @MaureenCaught.
