There’s a huge hole in the ground in Downtown Crossing where Filene’s once stood and a $700 million redevelopment project isn’t getting built, and Mayor Tom Menino isn’t happy about it. That is easy to believe. What’s harder to imagine is that Hizzoner was as out of the loop on moving the project forward as he seems to want everyone to believe.

The Globe’s Donovan Slack reports in a front-page story today that city development officials let developers bypass a number of provisions of the city zoning code and other required filings in an effort Filene's hole in the ground to speed the project along. With the mixed-use redevelopment at a standstill because of the global recession and credit crunch, it now looks like the corner cutting by city officials maybe wasn’t such a great idea. Boston Redevelopment Authority director John Palmieri says he plans to put a stop to the practice of fast-tracking big projects and skirting required steps in the review process. But for his part, Menino says he had nothing to do with the accelerated approvals given by the BRA to the developers, Gale International and Vornado Realty Trust.

“I didn’t have any role in pushing this forward,” Menino told the Globe, which also reports that the mayor received $1,550 in campaign contributions from executives of the two development firms during the course of the BRA review. 

Like even higher powers, city government often works in mysterious ways. But it is commonly understood that big things don’t happen on significant development projects without the mayor’s knowledge — and approval. The mayor gets his name on countless signs touting things getting built in Boston.  He owns the duds, too.

(Photo by rda via Creative Commons.)

Michael Jonas works with Laura in overseeing CommonWealth Beacon coverage and editing the work of reporters. His own reporting has a particular focus on politics, education, and criminal justice reform.