Jack's Boathouse Site Awarded to Massachusetts Company
The National Park Service recently issued an open bid for the site currently occupied by Jack's Boathouse.
The National Park Service (NPS) awarded a two-year temporary concession contract to B&G Outdoor Recreation, Inc. to run a non-motorized boathouse rental business on the site that is currently operated by Jack's Boathouse. Jack's Boathouse has already filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against NPS, seeking injunctive relief from eviction.
There is a dispute between Jack's and NPS about who owns the land and whether Jack's Boathouse has a rightful lease to the property.
When NPS released the Request for Qualifications in January, Jack's Boathouse owner Paul Simkin said NPS was essentially "forcing us to bid to run our own business." Jack's did not bid on the contract.
A panel of NPS staff from across the country selected B&G Outdoor Recreation, Inc., which is also known as Boating in Boston and is headquartered in Hopkinton, Mass., according to a press release. The company operates six boat rental and storage facilities in the Boston area, including three facilities on state park lands in Massachusetts, according to the press release.
Simkin's attorney Charles Camp has said he will sue both NPS and any new tenant who tries to operate in Jack's stead. Camp told The Washington City Paper that he expects litigation to drag on for several years, allowing Simkin to continue operating his business in the meanwhile.
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