The BCEC expansion is part of the MCCA's “Top 5 campaign” announced in 2009. The expansion was geared to allow the BCEC to host overlapping, multiple and larger-scale events. The MCCA had projected that with expansion the BCEC would host 15 to 20 more major events per year and generate an additional $184 million in economic impact annually once the project was completed.

A potential impact of a decision to either eventually scuttle or significantly scale back the expansion project would be the planned more than 1,000-room hotel to be developed by the Massachusetts Port Authority and the MCCA on Massport-owned land on Summer Street nearby. The Massachusetts Port Authority could not be reached for comment at press time. Massport officials told the Boston Globe that the agency is looking at building a smaller hotel if the convention center expansion fails to move forward. Massport is currently reviewing six bids for the hotel project that is currently planned to include a minimum of 1,200 rooms, the newspaper reports.

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, a supporter of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center expansion project, released a short statement: “I look forward to a continued dialogue with the governor as we work to get things back on track.”

Massachusetts Convention Center Authority executive director Rooney states that while he respects the “context and obligation” Gov. Baker has to review the program and its costs, he relates in a statement that after five years of review and after receiving overwhelming state legislative support , “I can't help but be extremely disappointed in Gov. Baker's decision to pause BCEC expansion. I believe that now is the time to move forward and take advantage of current low interest rates, avoid rising construction costs, and more importantly, to capitalize on the MCCA's 10-year proven track record of success in bringing world-class events to Boston and creating millions of dollars in economic impact and thousands of jobs for the Commonwealth.”

Rooney continues, “This decision not only pauses the physical convention center expansion, but also pauses significant economic development, job creation, groundbreaking diversity programs, place-making initiatives in the South Boston Waterfront, and our ability to keep Boston competitive in the global meetings and conventions market. I would advise the new board and the administration to set a new direction and eliminate uncertainties as quickly as possible.”

Rooney will be leaving his post at the authority to take over as president of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce on July 1.

The Baker administration's appointments announced on Wednesday to the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority were: Cindy Brown, Massachusetts Visitors Industry Council Seat; Barbara Capuano, At-Large Seat; Andrew Crane, Resident of Hampden County Seat; Karen Johnson, At-Large Seat; Amy Latimer, At-Large Seat; Gregg Lisciotti, At-Large Seat; John McDonnell, At-Large Seat; Paul Sacco, Massachusetts Lodging Association Seat and Frederic Wittman, Resident of Cambridge Seat.

The remaining seats on the 13-member MCCA board include: Kristen Lepore, Secretary of Administration and Finance, or a designee; Ronald Rakow, a designee of the CFO and Collector-Treasurer of Boston; Jack Hart, a City of Boston mayoral appointee and resident of South Boston and Michelle Consalvo, a City of Boston mayoral appointee.