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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Requirements for Public Land Dispositions

The Planning Department is strongly committed to ensuring that the disposition of publicly-owned properties provides opportunities for wealth-creation and workforce participation for businesses and individuals who have historically been underrepresented in real estate development.

Beginning in 2018, all Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for the redevelopment of BPDA-owned land require respondents to outline a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion plan. This measures the extent to which proposals plan to include significant economic participation and management roles by people of color, women, and M/WBEs in as many aspects of the project as possible. In 2020, this criterion was weighted at 25% for all RFPs.

Projects that have submitted DEI plans since 2018 include the Blair Lot, Parcel 8, and the Crescent Parcel in Nubian Square, 22 Drydock, 24 Drydock, and Parcel M in the Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park, Parcel R-1 in Chinatown, and Building 108 in the Charlestown Navy Yard.

DEI Requirements Included in RFPs

RFP Respondents must submit a Diversity and Inclusion Plan which reflects the extent to which they plan to include significant and impactful economic participation, employment, and management roles by people of color, women, certified Minority-Owned Businesses (“MBEs”), and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (“WBEs”) (collectively referred to as ‘M/WBEs”) on the project.

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan should reflect economic participation and management roles by people of color, women, and M/WBEs in all phases of development, including but not limited to:

  • pre-development (development entity, ownership, equity and debt investment, design, engineering, legal, and other consultants);
  • construction (general contractor, sub-contractor, trades, workers performing construction, suppliers, engineering, and other professional services); and
  • ongoing operations ( building tenants, facilities management, contracted services.)

The Diversity and Inclusion Plan should include the following good faith measures relating to M/WBE participation:

  • Providing information as to the M/WBE-owned firms participating in the development, the nature of their participation in the particular phase(s) of the development, and the extent to which such M/WBE involvement is committed as of the date of proposal submission. Where possible proponents should include detailed information on the M/WBE role, responsibility, and total contract value in the development.
  • The proponent’s strategy for supplier diversity and M/WBE outreach, including its goals and its good faith efforts the proponent may propose for M/WBE participation. Proposals should indicate what strategies will be pursued, or are being pursued, to identify M/WBE participation, including outreach and identification activities to timely inform the M/WBE community of upcoming opportunities.
  • Strategies that support sustainable capacity development in M/WBE firms, such as mentor-protégé relationships or joint ventures. These partnerships for capacity development should describe the impact of participating in this project on the M/WBE firm’s future business growth and opportunities.
  • The proponent’s strategy to support workforce training/capacity building for populations underrepresented in the construction trades as well as other fields of real estate development.
  • A description of the Development Team’s prior experience and track record undertaking similar programs at other locations, including examples deployed on private property.

The Diversity and Inclusion Plan should discuss why it is specific, realistic, executable, and impactful. The Diversity and Inclusion Plan evaluation criterion shall comprise 25% of the comparative evaluation of each proposal submitted.

The Diversity and Inclusion Plan language incorporated into all public land disposition RFPs is located here.