Rooney to Head Convention Center, Replacing Upton

BOSTON-The board of directors of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority voted to appoint James Rooney to be director of development and capital projects for the convention center project here in South Boston. Rooney will be taking the position previously occupied by Walter Upton. Rooney is currently Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s chief of staff.

This move comes right after KPMG’s long awaited management report commissioned by the MCCA on the convention center project was released. It makes no mention of recommending Rooney to oversee Upton, despite earlier reports indicating that that it would. The report has no recommendations regarding personnel but a source close to the MCCA tells GlobeSt.com, “It seemed clear that there was a desire to bring him in on this project.” The source adds that it could be that someone will be brought in under Rooney to help with management.

While Andy Antrobus declined to say that Upton was fired from the project, he tells GlobeSt.com, “Upton is no longer involved in the project.” According to Antrobus, Upton and the board have negotiated a separation agreement. Upton has come under fire of late for mismanaging the project and allowing it to go $100 million over budget. Among other things, KPMG’s report criticizes Upton for not getting enough cost estimates and for cutting staff in an effort to cut costs. In its list of 17 recommendations, the report calls for the project to revamp its management structure and adopt a more traditional, hierarchical approach.