BOSTON— Today, the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) Board of Directors voted to approve a contract with Populous Architects for a Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) campus masterplan and feasibility study. This data driven financial and industry marketplace analysis will provide an opportunity to evaluate potential future options at the BCEC’s 70-acre campus by taking into account the dramatic development of the South Boston Waterfront and rapid evolution of customer priorities in the global conventions, meetings and events industry.

“The Authority is eager to work with the world class team from Populous to determine the best path forward for the BCEC,” said David Gibbons, Executive Director of the MCCA. “We are asking them to evaluate the convention market to ensure the future competitive position of the BCEC in the conventions, meetings and events industry.”

Populous is based in Kansas City, Missouri, with offices around the world, including Boston. The firm, which was recently named Fast Company magazine’s Most Innovative Company in Live Events, has a strong and impressive global portfolio of convention center projects across the United States, and also includes signature projects in Australia, India and the Middle East. Their diverse team in Boston has strong local representation with several firms that have first-hand experience working on the BCEC, including the original construction of the center and subsequent projects at the facility since.

“The opportunity to help position the BCEC for future success is exciting, and we look forward to applying our nearly 20 years of planning and design expertise to this new project,” said Todd Voth, Senior Principal and Convention Center Practice Leader at Populous.

In November of 2017, Populous was selected as the winning bid among four finalists by the MCCA’s Designer Selection Panel. Following a vote of the MCCA’s Board of Directors on November 16, 2017, contract negotiations commenced. The study is currently scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2019 and the total design fees approved by the MCCA’s Board of Directors is not to exceed $2.2 million dollars.

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