The lengthy, convoluted quest to find a developer for a Palm Beach
County convention center hotel took another turn this week when a
court-appointed special master said county officials had unfairly
rejected bids from two of five contractors seeking the work. The
Related Companies and another group, Acquest Realty Advisors of
Michigan, had been approved for bids, but special master Robert Rosillo
said the county had given Related an unfair advantage. He ordered that
FRI Investors and Rose Development, both of West Palm Beach, be
returned to the bidding, and added that the fifth remaining bidder,
Grove Street Partners of Atlanta should be reinstated as well. [Palm
Beach Post]

The officials behind Palm Beach County Convention Center’s current developmental phase haven’t found scandal so much as scorn. Three of five development groups rejected from the bidding process filed protests saying the county showed an “arbitrary and capricious” tone when it dismissed their bids for the business. FRI Investors of West Palm Beach, Grove Street Partners of Atlanta and Rose Development of Michigan all wrote letters dated Sept. 18 saying county officials didn’t know how to evaluate the prospective builders. “Procuring a hotel developer is different than procuring a copy machine,” Grove Street Partners’ James Stormont wrote. Shannon LaRocque-Baas, assistant county administrator, said a hearing could be held on the issue in November.