Boston mayoral candidate Josh Kraft said that public records “show the city’s bid process for the White Stadium pro soccer rehab project was ‘rigged’” and he is “calling for an investigation into whether Mayor Michelle Wu violated procurement laws,” according to Gayla Cawley of the BOSTON HERALD. Kraft was reacting to a report that “shed light” on internal emails between the city and Boston Unity Soccer Partners, which revealed “negotiations to rehab Franklin Park’s White Stadium for a pro women’s soccer team were underway long before the city sent out a public request for proposals.” Massachusetts general laws require a public procurement process for city contracts for supplies and services, and construction projects estimated to cost $10,000 or more, to “ensure open and fair competition for contracts paid with public money.” Kraft said that public records “reveal the ‘extent of misplaced priorities at City Hall’” (BOSTON HERALD, 2/25).
IN RESPONSE: In Boston, Niki Griswold noted Wu yesterday “fired back” at Kraft and “opponents of her effort.” When asked about whether the city’s process “unfairly benefitted the private investment group,” Wu said, “That is inaccurate.” The Emerald Necklace Conservancy, the environmental nonprofit suing to stop the White Stadium project, “slammed the emails as evidence of ‘behind the scenes’ negotiations that they said prioritized the needs of the soccer team and investment group over Boston Public Schools students.” The group accused the city of “not making the RFP public until ‘key details and requirements ... had already been negotiated with the team’s investors,’ calling it a ‘backroom deal.’” Wu said, “There was a full RFP process that followed all of the standard timelines as established by state and city law.” A spokesperson for NWSL BOS Nation FC in a statement said, “Boston Unity engaged in preliminary and exploratory discussion with the city. Such exploratory discussions are typical of many municipal processes, and a completely fair and open Request for Proposals process followed” (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/25).
