State, city want taxpayers to aid convention hotel

The Boston Globe reports:

State and city leaders want to build a 1,000-room hotel next to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, a project that will cost up to $700 million and almost certainly require millions of dollars in subsidies and taxpayer-supported loans.

Officials studying how to dramatically expand the convention center said another large hotel is necessary to attract the biggest events, and that building it without taxpayers’ help would be nearly impossible.

The options are still being discussed, but officials said the project could involve a combination of tax breaks, public funds for road work and other upgrades, and hundreds of millions of dollars in debt that would be partly or entirely backed by taxpayers.

“If we stand back and do nothing, another hotel will not be built here for another 10 years,’’ said James Rooney, executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, which operates the center. “Boston has shown that it can do well in this market, so the question is do we want to make the tough decisions to build this hotel and take advantage of our capacity?’’