James Rooney, executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, said the plan is meant to be a broad vision for the area rather than a specific blueprint, especially since the state doesn’t own much of the property where the development would occur.
But he recently distributed the plan with state lawmakers who would have to sign off on the use of public funds to expand the convention complex, a project Rooney said is necessary to attract the nation’s largest trade shows.
“We know we can do better,’’ Rooney said yesterday, adding that several event planners have signed conditional contracts to come to the center if - and only if - officials proceeds with expansion. “This isn’t just speculation anymore. Businesses are stepping up and saying they are willing to come here if we build this.’’
Critics have questioned whether expansion is justified by the Boston hall’s performance, saying the facility has not attracted as much business as was predicted by consultants in the late 1990s, when the complex was built. Some members of a state panel that backed the expansion earlier this year also said they were not convinced the project would be the best use of the state’s limited economic development dollars.
The process of reviewing the plan is now proceeding on two fronts. The Convention Center Authority’s board is continuing to assess development scenarios and land acquisition costs, while state lawmakers are beginning to review the plan and devise a process for debating it.
State Representative John Keenan, a Salem Democrat who served on the panel that backed the expansion, said the Legislature is unlikely to take up the matter until next year, especially with casino legislation and other matters expected to take up much of lawmakers’ focus in the coming months.
