This week on Under The Radar:
Seven years ago, the Massachusetts Port Authority shook up the local real estate world. Plans for a new hotel on public land, overseen by the agency, would be the biggest to open in Boston since the mid-80s.
But the agency's thumbs up for developers hinged on the inclusion of companies owned by women and people of color working as leaders on the project. Dubbed the “Massport Model," the inclusion clause helped forge new relationships beyond the project.
The Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport opened in September to rave reviews. The $550 million complex has 1,054 rooms, seven dining options and glorious views of the Boston city skyline. The gleaming luxury hotel marks something bigger than just a building: a lucrative business model that centers diversity.
GUESTS:
Duane Jackson, managing member of Alinea Capital Partners and former member of Massachusetts Port Authority’s Board of Directors, who pushed for the “Massport Model” policy.
Richard Taylor, chairman of the Taylor-Smith Companies, where he manages multiple real estate business entities, and director of the Center for Real Estate at Suffolk University.
Mikyoung Kim, landscape architect and owner of the firm Mikyoung Kim Design in Boston.
