Mayor Mumbles Memorialized?

An article in the Globe a few days ago pointed out that new Boston Convention Centre, which opened about three years ago, was supposed to earn the Commonwealth some cash through the sale of its naming rights, but Repugnicans say the Convention Centre Authority is holding off on the task so they can name the centre after Mayor Mumbles once he retires.

“It is clear to people familiar with the situation that the Convention Center Authority is very reluctant to put the naming rights out to bid because they want to eventually name the facility for Mayor Menino,” said Senate minority leader Richard R. Tisei, a Wakefield Republican. “There is no other reason. It is a lot of money to leave on the table.”

I’ve written about this issue before, and my opinion hasn’t changed. Mind you, this is one of two convention centres in Boston, and the other one is named for a former mayor: John B. Hynes. Lots of stuff in Boston is named for historical figures, a recent example being the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge (the widest cable-stayed bridge in the world, kidz). I was actually hoping the bridge would be named for Seiji Ozawa, even though I still haven’t forgiven him for ditching us for Vienna.

Really, I think the only local public structures for which the naming rights have been sold are the Garden (recently the Fleet Centre and now the TD Banknorth Garden) and the Metropolitan Theatre, which became the Music Hall, which became the Met Centre, which became the Wang Centre and is currently the Citi Wang Theatre (feh).

Personally, I’d much rather live in a city with a Mumbles Menino Convention Centre than one named after Cheez Wiz or Jiffy Lube.

Tags:
Boston,
Menino,
Naming Rights,
Politics