Jim Doolin, chief development officer for Massport, says the expansion project which was put on pause earlier this year by Gov. Baker and the Convention Center Authority, had called for a 1,200-room hotel. The site that is the subject of the RFQ and the eventual issuance of a Request for Proposals, is a smaller component of the development parcel that was to be the focal point of the now on-hold expansion project. Doolin says that the RFQ was undertaken after consultation with the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority.

Doolin says that while the Convention Center Authority continues to review their operations and options for future expansion, "they are in sink with us in moving along and getting the qualifications and ultimately moving as quickly as possible with the selection of a development team so that there are more (hotel) beds that can serve part of the convention center's needs going forward."

He says that the authority is looking for full utilization of the site and expects a variety of responses once the process reaches the RFP stage. The deadline for submission of the RFQ is Dec. 21, 2015. The authority states in its RFQ that it "has placed an emphasis on an expedited and efficient RFQ and RFP process and anticipates that the construction of the Summer Street Development Project will commence in 2018." Massport hopes to issue an RFP in January and plans to designate a development team by the spring to bring to the authority's board of directors. Doolin says that it will likely take about 18 months for permitting and approvals before a shovel could go in the ground on the project. Construction would likely take about two years to complete depending on the scope of the project.

Massport plans to invite the three development teams that had previously responded to the RFP for the larger 1,200-room headquarters hotel. Those teams, which Massport considers pre-qualified, are: New Boston Hospitality, RIDA Development and Fallon Co.

Doolin says that unlike the previous larger RFP, which sort of spelled out a development program, in the smaller RFP to be issued in early 2016, "We are looking to the creative energies of the private sector to tell us at the end of the day their best competitive ideas to meet our objectives."

Properties of this size generally max out a little more than 500,000 square feet and height restrictions in that section of the Seaport District are at approximately 260 feet.