The well-known developer Arthur Winn was fined $100,000 but avoided going to jail after being accused of funneling campaign contributions to politicians to get support for the failed Columbus Center development, reports The Boston Globe.
Prosecutors had been seeking a $200,000 fine and six months in prison, but U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein pointed out that many of Winn's alleged crimes were beyond the statute of limitations or could not be prosecuted in federal court because they were connected to state candidates. As for the donations made to U.S. Representatives Michael Capuano and Stephen Lynch, it turned out that Winn had only pleaded guilty to misdemeanors there.
The Columbus Center developer has been well known in Boston real estate circles for producing affordable housing. Still, the trail of money that grew out of Arthur Winn, involved everyone from Governor Mitt Romney, Senator John Kerry, Rep. Edward Markey, to state senator Dianne Wilkerson — who is serving 3.5 years on an unrelated bribery charge.
The Columbus Center Development was a very complex project, reported The Globe, demanding air rights over the Massachusetts Turnpike due to scarcity of land. It was later described as “one of the most spectacular real estate failures Boston has seen.”
Developing any kind of property, from residential to commercial, to mixed, is a complex affair, requiring money and many permits. The best way to solidify your position is to keep an experienced real estate attorney on tap.
To find out more about commercial real estate zoning and the Columbus Center, see the links listed below.
Related Resources:
- Find a Boston Real Estate attorney (FindLaw)
- The Final Death of Columbus Center (The Boston Globe)
- Commercial Zoning (FindLaw)
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