By CHRISTOPHER WALKER
The Patriot Ledger

QUINCY - A year in the making, a new deal reached between Mayor William Phelan and Quarry Hills developers will produce a cash stream for the city worth millions more than original plans promised, city officials say.

The new contract extends the deadline for completion of the mammoth project, which started in 1997 when the first truckloads of Big Dig dirt arrived at a former West Quincy landfill. Under the original lease between the city and Quarry Hills developers, an upscale golf course and other recreational facilities were to be completed on the landfill site by last month.

Developers will now have until 2007 to finish the project, but must meet a number of milestones earlier.

The deadline extensions were an important, albeit expected, result of the negotiations, leaving local leaders to hail the city's expanded profit-making potential as one of the most critical elements of the new lease.

Originally, the city stood to receive 10 percent of the money made from certain portions of club's golfing and clubhouse operations. But under the new contract, Quincy will take in 10 percent of nearly all revenue generated by the golf course and function facilities.

Those changes will mean ‘‘millions'' of extra dollars for the city, officials said.

‘‘It's tough to quantify, but I'd say over a 50-year period, you're really talking about a spectacular amount of money,'' said Ward 4 City Councilor Bryan Connolly, who participated in the negotiations.

The new lease guarantees rental payments of $1.3 million to Quincy. The city will also be paid $1 million when a chunk of the Quarry Hills property known as the Bates parcel is sold.

Brokered through a year of hard-fought negotiations, details of the 50-year lease between the city and Quarry Hills Associates were announced yesterday at city hall by Phelan along with other city leaders and several project officials. The contract changes were unveiled in tandem with the introduction of Chestnut Hill-based Senior Tour Players Inc. to manage the course.

The company has ties to a number of pro golf legends, such as Chi Chi Rodriguez and Johnny Miller, and manages high-end golf courses around the country. Company President Stanton Abrams suggested the club's proximity to a major city and its championship-caliber design would make it a candidate for regional and national attention.

‘‘It's so unique it's going to bring fame to this city that's unparalleled in the sports world,'' he said, even likening Quincy's potential to the once-unknown town of Augusta, Ga., which now hosts The Masters, the world's most famous golf tournament.

The agreement was almost completely overhauled from its original form, changing from a document focused mainly on construction to one dealing with operations and revenue issues.

‘‘The lease is completely redone. But it was done meticulously so it can be enforced and understood,'' Phelan said. ‘‘We want it done and we want it done right. I'm very confident that what we now have will produce the biggest possible benefit for the city.''

The updated lease sets a September 2004 deadline for the first 18 holes of the golf course, about half of which is already complete. Project leaders say they're hopeful the course will be open at some point later this year.

Baseball and soccer fields included in the project are expected to be ready for play this spring, officials said.

The remainder of the project must be completed by 2007.

About 13 million tons of Big Dig dirt were hauled to Quarry Hills over four years, costing about $100 million. It's one of the largest projects in the city's history.

City officials said they also pressed for other benefits for local residents, including a 20 percent greens fee discount for city residents four days a week, free use of the clubhouse for community groups and city events, and use of the course for all Quincy high-school golf teams.

The developers must complete the playing fields before opening the golf course, and any project money must first be used to complete the golf course.

Abrams said his company offered the city contract concessions that ‘‘we've never given anyone before.''

City officials and the developers characterized negotiations as tough but respectful and professional. The upbeat tone of yesterday's announcement was a sharp departure from several months ago, when Quarry Hills developers were expressing frustration with the slow pace of negotiations, the possibility of lawsuits lingered and work on the project was temporarily shut down.

‘‘Our attention can now be focused on the future. This finally gives us the luxury of looking forward,'' said Thomas O'Connell, the son of Quarry Hills Associates principal Peter O'Connell.

Christopher Walker may be reached at cwalker@ledger.com.

Copyright 2003 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Friday, January 03, 2003