Bayside Expo Center

The 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 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]

Bayside Expo Center
Address200 Mt Vernon St,
LocationDorchester, Boston, Massachusetts 02125, United States
Coordinates42°19′18.07″N 71°2′48.95″W
OwnerUniversity of Massachusetts Boston
Built1960's
Opened1960's
Enclosed space
 • Total space275,000 square feet
Public transit accessJFK/UMass on the MBTA Red Line

UMass Boston's eventual plan was to demolish the center, and redevelop it into space for the campus.[2] It had been proposed as the site for the Olympic Village as part of the Boston bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics. The property is located near the JFK/UMass station on the MBTA Red Line, which would have been renovated under the Olympics plan.[3] On 4 March 2015, part of the roof of the building collapsed under the weight of snow[4][5] during Boston's record-setting winter of 2015.[6]

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.[7][8] In January 2018, the UMass System put the property up for sale.[9] 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.[10][11] 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 $235 million;[12] $35 million more than initial real estate estimates indicated that the university would receive from the sale.[13]

References
  1. Forry, Edward (17 February 2010). "BREAKING NEWS- UMass and Bayside Expo agree on sale". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  2. "25-Year Campus Master Plan". University of Massachusetts Boston. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
  3. Dezenski, Lauren (14 January 2015). "Vital Olympic transit projects not in state bond bill". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  4. "Partial Roof Collapse At Former Bayside Expo Center". WHDH-TV. Archived from the original on 6 March 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  5. Michaels, Justin; Jones, Tim (March 4, 2015). "Partial Roof Collapse at Old Bayside Expo Center". NECN. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  6. "Boston Inches Closer To Snowfall Total Record". CBS Boston. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  7. UMass Boston Bayside Property - University of Massachusetts Boston, University of Massachusetts Boston, retrieved March 22, 2017
  8. "Former Bayside Expo Coming Down". UMass Boston News. April 29, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  9. Rios, Simón (January 25, 2018). "UMass Boston Lists Bayside Site For Potential Sale". WBUR. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  10. Forry, Bill (December 13, 2018). "Federal Tax Program Is Eyed For Growth In 13 Boston 'Opportunity Zones'". WBUR. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  11. "U.S. Treasury Department Approves Baker-Polito Administration Opportunity Zone Designations". www.mass.gov. May 18, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  12. Smith, Jennifer; Forry, Bill (February 14, 2019). "UMass Taps Developer For Bayside Site In Deal Worth Up To $235 Million". WBUR. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  13. "UMass to sell 20-acre plot of land near Boston campus". WCVB. January 25, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
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