House OKs Boston Convention Center Expansion

A proposal to expand the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) has cleared the Massachusetts House of Representatives, which voted in favor of the $1.1 billion expansion yesterday.

The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) introduced its proposal to lawmakers last fall. Co-sponsored by State Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry and State Rep. Nick Collins, the legislation seeks a $1 billion, 1.3 million-square-foot expansion of the BCEC, including additions to the facility’s meeting and exhibition space and a second, larger ballroom that would allow the venue to host multiple concurrent events. Funding for the project would come from an existing fund that’s generated by tourism-based fees and taxes, none of which would need to be increased.

Having passed in the House, the legislation will now move to the state Senate.

“We are pleased by the steady progress of our BCEC expansion legislation at the State House,” MCCA Executive Director James E. Rooney said in a statement. “Successful passage of this legislation will result in an incredible opportunity to grow Massachusetts’ share of the meetings and conventions industry and increase our economic return for the Commonwealth in a major way, including the creation of thousands of construction and permanent jobs. I am thankful to the House for a thorough and productive dialog throughout the legislative process, and look forward to continuing the conversation with the Senate in the near future.”