Ten years ago, any small vendor could pay the city a license fee to do business on Yawkey Way, a public street alongside Fenway Park. Then in 2003 the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) made a deal with Red Sox management to rent them full rights to Yawkey Way, effectively making it a private property before and during games, blocking it to non-ticket holders and shutting out other vendors. On this agreement, for the less than $2 million that the city of Boston made on this deal,  Red Sox management made close to $50 million. The city never had any formal appraisal of the value of this land, nor did they ask any neighbors for their input on the transaction.

In September 2013, the BRA agreed to sell the rights to Yawkey Way to Red Sox management for $7.3 million to be paid over ten years, after which time the Red Sox will have total control of Yawkey Way in perpetuity, without ever having to pay another dime.  Meanwhile, Boston will still be financially responsible for maintaining this street. This deal was rushed through without proper process or public input, and needs to be halted.

This sale was made with no public input from the citizens of Boston. In fact, during the “public” hearing on the sale, many Boston citizens came to voice their concern and were told they were not allowed to speak. Furthermore they were threatened with arrest if they spoke.

Additionally, the BRA never had a formal appraisal of the property done. Any bystander can clearly see the value of the property as being exponentially higher than the amount that was negotiated between the BRA and the Red Sox.

The Boston Finance Commission, an independent watch-dog agency which monitors any and all   business of the City of Boston, has said this agreement will “shackle generations of Bostonians to an agreement that over time will prove to be financially irresponsible” and that the city should be negotiating to get a chunk of future revenues from concessions on the site.

The Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General issued a public letter to the BRA on September 26 asking the BRA to postpone this property transfer. The Inspector General requested this delay because the BRA had not had the land formally appraised and had not explained how the value of $7.3 million was set.

The BRA ignored their request, went ahead with the vote, at a meeting in which the public was barred from speaking. The lone vote against the transfer was cast by Tim Burke the only non-mayoral appointment on the board.

We, the undersigned, petition Mayor Menino, Governor Patrick, and the Office of the Inspector General to halt the sale of Yawkey Way at below market rate to a billion dollar corporation in perpetuity until the Inspector General’s recommendations are carried out. The land should be accurately assessed. And a true public meeting should be held to hear neighborhood input before this piece of public property is sold. We believe the city of Boston and the citizens who live here now and in the future deserve better.