December 16, 2010

RFP Process

Both Pharmasphere and the Mason-Winfield project are products of the City of Worcester's RFP process.  This a process whereby the City of Worcester requests proposals of City owned property, review the proposal and pick the winner based:
  1. proposed project itself
  2.  amount of the proposer's bid
  3. their ability to get the project done (financing in place
After selecting the winner, the City of Worcester and the winning bidder both sign an LDA (Land Disposition Agreement) to ensure that the work stipulated in the proposal is completed in a timely fashion.    Pharmasphere and Mason-Winfield are examples of two bids that have not even come close to what was stipulated.    

As Jahn pointed out there have been other city owned parcels put out to RFP.   The City of Worcester should go back to say Janaury 1, 2010, and review all parcels of city owned land that have been put out to bid and to make sure all of them are in compliance with the terms of their LDA.    If anyone is out of compliance, steps should be taken to get the property back and put the property back out to bid or outright auction through the Treasurer. 

7 comments:

Signman said...

Regarding comments at the end of the story... I wish the city felt this way about Mason St. The CBA have voiced our concerns to her for a few years now. And nothing done

Signman said...

I would love to see WCG do the right thing and give it back to the city...as they once accused a local developer of doing they are holding this area hostage by land banking these properties

Jahn said...

Signman, Bill made a prediction a few years ago that that this project will never happen or if it does happen it will need 100%gub'mint money. Remember this project is owned partly or in its entirety by for profit dev'ers and/or quasi private/public partnership and no private dev'er is putting their own money on the line with a project of this scope (40 apts?) for at least the next 5 to 10 years.

Myself, it wouldnt surprise me that what ultimately happens is bunch of townhouse type units are placed there..........resulting in many fewer units being built which is probably more in keeping with neighbor.

I have wondered to myself that if the dev'er origianlly got a zoning variance to build there, well the variance has long since expired. I tend to doubt the ZBA would extend a start date this far out, but than again one never knows with all teh grease that CDC's have in worcester.

So if they do have to come back to the ZBA for whatever they want to build there.........well a savvy investor might try to acquire an abutting property and then demand to be paid mucho dinero either for their property or to appease the abutter for the decrease in his propertys value as result of WGC's overdev'ment of the Mason St site.

Steve Foley said...

"the City of Worcester and the winning bidder both sign an LDA (Land Disposition Agreement) to ensure that the work stipulated in the proposal is completed in a timely fashion."

Nobody reads the find print.

Bill Randell said...

Steve:

Why are you such an idiot sometimes? There is a huge difference between a recorded LDA regarding the sale of a parcel of plan and the fine print when you buy an airline ticket.

Bill

Ajhn said...

Wow.......Bill......1st time I ever saw you use a belittling term toward someone.................Must be a BAD FRIDAY FOR YA.....or all the BS that you see going on with CDC and LDA has pushed you off the deep end today ....:)

Of course I never call anyone names :) again where hell is that 260lb Irishman????

Bill Randell said...

Jahn:

I know Steve Foley so you can call people an a--- you know. That is o'aky.

He is a good guy, but his analogy tryng to compare the small print when you buy something on-line to an LDA that typically is incorporated into a recorded deed???

When you buy something like a ticket on-line, you typically do not hire a lawyer to read the fine print. LDA's and deeds, however, always included lawyers.

Bottom line the winners of the RFP's knew exactly what they were agreeing to and hsould be held accountable.


Bill