Massachusetts has restarted its search for bidders to rehabilitate and run 18 highway service plazas in the state after failing to close a deal last year amid a controversial process.
Last April, MassDOT awarded a 35-year lease to Irish company Applegreen to raze and rebuild nine rest stops, while refurbishing nine others. But the losing bidder, Waltham-based Global Partners, alleged that the process was unfair and sued, claiming their bid was $1 billion higher.
Applegreen eventually pulled out of the project, citing litigation threats, and MassDOT said it would be starting the process over. The Office of the Inspector General said in a report last month that the procurement process had “too many flaws,” and cited concerns about conflicts of interest…