Bayside Expo Center

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Bayside Expo Center
Address200 Mt Vernon St,
LocationDorchester, Boston, Massachusetts 02125, United States
Coordinates42°19′18.07″N 71°2′48.95″W / 42.3216861°N 71.0469306°W / 42.3216861; -71.0469306
OwnerUniversity of Massachusetts Boston
Built1965 (as Bayside Mall)
Opened1983
Closed2016
Demolished2016
Former names
Bayside Mall
Enclosed space
 • Total space275,000 square feet
Public transit accessJFK/UMass on the MBTA Red Line

Bayside Expo Center (also known as the Bayside Expo and Conference Center) was a convention center located in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Originally opened as a shopping mall called Bayside Mall in the 1960s, the mall later failed and the convention center opened in its place. In 2010, it was purchased by the University of Massachusetts Boston after the building went into foreclosure.[1]

History[]

Bayside Mall was built in 1967 by Family City Development in 1967.[2] Originally featuring Zayre, , Woolworth, and Stop & Shop as its major tenants. The center suffered greatly from high crime and poor sales among its stores, causing Almy's and many of the other stores to close in 1972,[3] and the rest to close in 1973.[4] A $15 million development plan launched in 1982 began converting the property to Bayside Expo Center.[5] Bayside Expo Center officially opened for business in January 1983.[4]

UMass Boston's eventual plan was to demolish the center, and redevelop it into space for the campus.[6] It had been proposed as the site for the Olympic Village as part of the Boston bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[7][8][9] The property is located near the JFK/UMass station on the MBTA Red Line, which would have been renovated under the Olympics plan.[10] On 4 March 2015, part of the roof of the building collapsed under the weight of snow[11][12] during Boston's record-setting snowfall during the 2014–15 North American winter.[13]

In April 2016, demolition of the building began in order to expand the parking area, to build new pedestrian walkways connecting Mount Vernon Street with the Dorchester Shores Reservation and the Boston Harborwalk, and to improve the lighting, landscaping, bike racks, and security.[14][15] UMass officials and the Kraft Group had discussed constructing a stadium for the New England Revolution at the Bayside site, which was ultimately cancelled.[16][17] In January 2018, the UMass System put the property up for sale,[18] with initial estimates indicating that the university could receive $200 million or more from such a sale.[19]

In May 2018, the U.S. Treasury Department approved a request submitted by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker that the Columbia Point census tract, which includes the Bayside Expo Center, be designated as an opportunity zone under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[20][21] In February 2019, the UMass Board of Trustees unanimously approved a 99-year final lease agreement for the Bayside Expo Center with Accordia Partners for approximately $192 million to $235 million.[22][23] In September 2020, Accordia Partners filed a project notification form with the Boston Planning & Development Agency to develop 34 acres of land (including both the Bayside property and 2 Morrissey Boulevard across the street) for a mixed-use development titled "Dorchester Bay City" that will total 5.9 million square feet of gross floor area laid out over 17 city blocks, and will feature commercial and public space as well as 1,740 residential housing units.[24]

In March 2021, the administrations of Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced a $1 million infrastructure study to improve the Morrissey Boulevard corridor in general and to identify improvements related to the Dorchester Bay City development in particular (which Accordia Partners has indicated that it plans to make a $26.7 million commitment to with $17.7 million reserved for constructing a new layout of Mount Vernon Street).[25][26] In July 2021, Accordia Partners made a $10 million commitment in matching funds to the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance to assist nearby first-generation homebuyers in making down payments.[27] In December 2021, Accordia Partners filed a draft project impact report that included an agreement with the Boston Teachers Union for 2 acres of land adjacent to the Bayside property where their current headquarters is located that will be included in the Bay City development.[28]

References[]

  1. ^ Forry, Edward (17 February 2010). "BREAKING NEWS- UMass and Bayside Expo agree on sale". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  2. ^ "BRA attempts to thwart Bayside Mall zoning change". The Boston Globe. August 12, 1973. pp. A-57. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  3. ^ "Business leaves, fear lingers at Bayside Mall". The Boston Globe. July 9, 1972. pp. A-71. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "A center and a question". The Boston Globe. January 4, 1983. pp. 21, 22. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  5. ^ "$15M development of Bayside Mall set". The Boston Globe. July 15, 1982. p. 31. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  6. ^ "25-Year Campus Master Plan". University of Massachusetts Boston. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
  7. ^ Forry, Bill (January 15, 2015). "Motley talks about future of Bayside, Olympic Village". Dorchester Reporter. Boston Neighborhood News, Inc. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  8. ^ Dezenski, Lauren; Forry, Bill (June 28, 2015). "Olympic Bid 2.0 features $2.8 billion Athletes Village in Dorchester". Dorchester Reporter. Boston Neighborhood News, Inc. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  9. ^ Conway, Abby Elizabeth (July 27, 2015). "USOC, Local Organizers Drop Bid To Bring 2024 Olympics To Boston". WBUR. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  10. ^ Dezenski, Lauren (14 January 2015). "Vital Olympic transit projects not in state bond bill". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  11. ^ "Partial Roof Collapse At Former Bayside Expo Center". WHDH-TV. Archived from the original on 6 March 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  12. ^ Michaels, Justin; Jones, Tim (March 4, 2015). "Partial Roof Collapse at Old Bayside Expo Center". NECN. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  13. ^ "Boston Inches Closer To Snowfall Total Record". CBS Boston. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  14. ^ UMass Boston Bayside Property - University of Massachusetts Boston, University of Massachusetts Boston, retrieved March 22, 2017
  15. ^ "Former Bayside Expo Coming Down". UMass Boston News. April 29, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  16. ^ Smith, Jennifer; Forry, Bill (June 21, 2016). "UMass in talks to build Revolution soccer stadium at Bayside". Dorchester Reporter. Boston Neighborhood News, Inc. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  17. ^ Smith, Jennifer (April 27, 2017). "UMass-Kraft stadium plan officially 'dead'". Dorchester Reporter. Boston Neighborhood News, Inc. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  18. ^ Rios, Simón (January 25, 2018). "UMass Boston Lists Bayside Site For Potential Sale". WBUR. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  19. ^ "UMass to sell 20-acre plot of land near Boston campus". WCVB. January 25, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  20. ^ Forry, Bill (December 12, 2018). "Fed tax program eyed for growth in 'Opportunity Zones'". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  21. ^ "U.S. Treasury Department Approves Baker-Polito Administration Opportunity Zone Designations". www.mass.gov. May 18, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  22. ^ Smith, Jennifer; Forry, Bill (February 14, 2019). "UMass Taps Developer For Bayside Site In Deal Worth Up To $235 Million". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  23. ^ Trojano, Katie (September 10, 2019). "Bayside developers plan 'vision' sessions with their neighbors". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  24. ^ Trojano, Katie (September 23, 2020). "Next up for Bayside: 'Dorchester Bay City'". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  25. ^ Chesto, Jon (March 4, 2021). "State, city embark on a million-dollar study to improve Morrissey Boulevard corridor". The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  26. ^ Daniel, Seth (January 12, 2022). "'Bay City' seen sparking transportation fixes". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  27. ^ Trojano, Katie (July 2, 2021). "Bay City developers commit $10M to MAHA's homebuyer program". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  28. ^ Dumcius, Gintautus (December 13, 2021). "'Dorchester Bay City' developers strike agreement for part of teachers union HQ". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
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