Suffolk urges state not to pick Global Partners for Massachusetts service plaza project
A construction company is denying accusations that it had improper communication with MassDOT over the state's highway plazas and is urging Gov. Healey to not pick Global Partners for the project, accusing them of manipulating facts.
The service plazas project was awarded to Irish-founded company Applegreen back in June, but they have since backed out of the project. The plan was to raze and rebuild nine rest stops on the Mass Pike and refurbish nine others. Construction was supposed to start in January.
Applegreen said when it withdrew that it could not reach an agreement on terms with MassDOT after three months of negotiations. It also cited "costly and continued litigation threats" from rival bidder Global Partners, a Waltham-based company that sued MassDOT, alleging that the agency wasn't complying with public records requests.
Suffolk denies "unauthorized discussions"
Global Partners also accused Applegreen of "improper and prohibited" communications with MassDOT.
Suffolk Construction, the construction company partnered with Applegreen, sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt refuting Global Partners' claims and offering to tell its side of the story.
"At no time during this process did Suffolk or any of its principals, officers, directors, or employees engage in any unauthorized discussions concerning the Service Plazas Project with anyone at MassDOT," said Suffolk in the letter.
Suffolk acknowledged any communications between the company and MassDOT at this time were about the South Station Tower project at South Station and "other matters completely unrelated to the Service Plazas Project." They accused Global Partners of "a calculated campaign by a disgruntled bidder to both wrongfully attack MassDOT and deprive Suffolk of the ability to serve at a design-builder for the Service Plazas Project."
Gov. Healey weighing next steps
Suffolk CEO John Fish, general manager Patrick Lucey and vice president Patrick Brophy all submitted affidavits addressing their communication with MassDOT official Scott Bosworth, alleging they did not discuss anything related to the service plazas with him. Suffolk said none of their communications about the service plazas happened until after MassDOT awarded the lease to Applegreen.
After Applegreen pulled out of the project, Gov. Maura Healey said her administration is weighing the next steps for the service plaza project.
"This just happened, and we're in the process of evaluating that with MassDOT," said Healey. "My focus is on making sure that we have the very best in terms of quality and service for customers and drivers at those service plazas."