Bidder wants state to reconsider highway plaza vendor pick
Image | Courtesy of Google Maps
A highway plaza on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Westborough
Saying its rent proposal "significantly exceeded" a package recommended by a state board committee, a rival bidder is urging the Massachusetts Department of Transportation board to reconsider its choice of a vendor to lease and overhaul 18 highway plazas.
Waltham-based Global Partners and CommonWealth Kitchen on Friday urged state residents, community leaders, and business advocates to attend Wednesday's MassDOT meeting, when the board is set to vote on a staff recommendation to move forward with a 35-year lease with Applegreen, which is based in Ireland.
On June 11, the Boston Globe reported MassDOT's Capital Programs Committee recommended Applegreen's bid to "replace buildings at nine of the 18 service plazas and make significant retrofits to the others ... In total, Applegreen has pledged to make $750 million in capital improvements over the life of the lease. The company also would share a portion of the revenue it earns at these plazas with the state, totaling at least $28.4 million a year on average over the contract term — or nearly $1 billion that would go to the state over time."
Global Partners said its proposal would guarantee rent to the state averaging $43.2 million a year over 35 years, representing $1.5 billion to the state, and calls for $650 million in capital improvements over the life of the lease. Global touted its partnerships with local food innovators CommonWealth Kitchen and the inclusion of regional providers such as Anna’s Taqueria and Pressed Café.
In a statement released by Global Partners, Jen Faigel, executive director of CommonWealth Kitchen, described the committee's recommendation as "a missed opportunity to invest in Massachusetts—and ourselves."
"This is a moment for the Board to lead with purpose," Faigel said. "We urge them to reconsider the recommendation and select the path that brings more revenue, more opportunity, and more Massachusetts-grown impact to our state’s infrastructure."
MassDOT spokesperson Jacquelyn Goddard said Monday that the MassDOT Board "will vote on authorizing the Secretary to award this contract on Wednesday."
"We are fortunate to have had great interest in the opportunity to redevelop 18 service plazas," Goddard said. "The MassDOT Selection Committee evaluated several bids submitted for revitalizing, modernizing, and in some cases, rebuilding service plazas in the state. They selected Applegreen due to its demonstrated preparedness and long track record of successful operations in other states with similar characteristics to Massachusetts."
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