Columbus builders seek delay

Residents of Cortes Street say they have lost trees, parking, and use of a sidewalk as a result of the stalled project in the Back Bay and South End. (christina pazzanese for the boston globe)

Massachusetts Turnpike Authority officials say they expect to decide in the next few weeks whether to grant the developers of the Columbus Center project an 18-month construction delay.

The $800 million condominium, hotel, and retail complex, slated to be built on four parcels along the Mass. Pike in the South End and Back Bay, has been beset by development troubles since planning began in 1996.

"At this point, it's totally a matter of financing," said Alan Eisner, a spokesman for the Center's development team of WinnDevelopment and MacFarlane Partners/CalPERS. The recent downturn in the economy, the state's decision not to contribute millions in loans and grants, and "issues" with the Turnpike Authority over the lease led to the developer's request in March for a hiatus, said Eisner. "Since then, all sides have been working diligently to try and piece this back together. The goal is to keep the door open," he said.

On Wednesday, Stephen Hines, the turnpike's chief development officer, told the Mass. Highway System Advisory Board that the project "is not proceeding at this moment in any significant way." He said the authority is still in discussions with the developers over their request to delay the construction and was "hopeful" something could be worked out soon.

Hines said the authority was open to granting WinnDevelopment a delay provided certain conditions are met, such as making the streets and sidewalks around the 7-acre property safe and accessible to the public and freeing up parking spaces lost during construction.

"In the event they don't proceed" with the project, the developer would be asked to restore the site to its prior condition, said Hines.

The board, which reviews and makes recommendations about the authority's real estate deals, has asked to be kept informed about the terms of any delay agreement with the developers before it is signed.

Turnpike spokesman Mac Daniel said executive director Alan LeBovidge delivered a similar message to the Bay Village Neighborhood Association on May 27, but cautioned residents that talks could go on beyond the end of June.

"As far as financing and the project moving forward, we are waiting to hear back from the developers," said Jessica Shumaker, a spokeswoman for the Boston Redevelopment Authority, in an e-mail. "They told us they needed a few more weeks to work through project details and financing sources and that they would come back to us with an update as soon as they had more info."

After dozens of residents implored Mayor Thomas M. Menino in April to require the developer to secure the idle construction site and to clean up abutting streets during any project delay, the developers agreed to pay for workers from Project Place to regularly neaten the area surrounding the property.

Two weeks ago, the South End nonprofit, which helps homeless people find jobs and does similar street tidying in 13 Boston neighborhoods, began sending teams of between five and a dozen workers armed with brooms and dustbins to pick up debris and cigarette butts, and remove posters for two hours each weekday, said Suzanne Kenney, Project Place's executive director.

Kenney said that although the arrangement is only temporary while the long-term fate of the project is hashed out, she hopes eventually they'll be hired on a permanent basis. "We don't know how long this is going to happen," said Kenney. "We're just going to continue until we hear otherwise."

The BRA plans to repair a hole in the fence on Cortes Street and has put up signs along Stanhope Street alerting passersby that local businesses are indeed open, said Shumaker.