One of the two bids submitted to develop the land near the Boston Convention Center could see the introduction of the first historic Black college in Boston.
The college would be in partnership with the Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design based in Detroit, Michigan.
Dr. D’Wayne Edwards, the founder of Pensole, noted that the introduction of the college is directly related to a footwear factory that is set to open in New Hampshire on March 20.
“The idea of having the programming in Boston is to feed the jobs we are creating in the Northeast to support our footwear factory,” said Edwards.
After acquiring the original Lewis College of Business in 2021 and renaming it to Pensole, Edwards added design to the mix as he envisions expanding the college in that sector.
Boston seems to be one of the destinations for that expansion.
According to Edwards, the goal of bringing it to Boston is to create college programs that are focused on jobs in the manufacturing industry, something that Pensole hasn’t done in Detroit.
Edwards was a lead designer of the Nike Jordan Brand and hopes that this project will give “an educational platform to Black and Brown students and expose them to the other side of the footwear industry.”
Pensole College would be taking up space within the proposed development area and will partner with the Black Chip Art Gallery which is also part of the development plans.
Tavares Brewington, the founder of Street2Ivy, a Boston-based organization focused on mentoring young and creative entrepreneurs, is also a partner in the project and highlighted the bigger picture.
Brewington said the proposal offers a new vision for where Boston is heading. Through this project, he wishes to achieve more accessibility and economic mobility for underrepresented communities in Boston.
“We want to make sure that as the Seaport area develops, Boston’s culturally rich population is represented equally,” said Brewington. “That Boston continues to grow as a hub for innovation and diversity.”
The submitter of the bid is The Cronin Group which will be relying on the “historic” nature of the proposal to outbid a proposal by Boston Globe Investors (BGI).
The BGI’s proposal includes three mixed-use commercial buildings. They will have office and community space, a child care center, parking spaces for neighboring hotels and one building dedicated to scientific research and development.
The two bids are currently under review by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority.
The bid is for a 99-year ground lease of approximately 6.2 acres of land in Southie’s Seaport District near the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.
The Cronin Group proposal also includes an open food market, a grocery store, an expansion of the shuttle service to improve transportation and accessibility and a job training program within the Black Chip Art Gallery.
