Challenge
Based in Summit, New Jersey, Amherst Media Investors has over fifteen years of experience in delivering public benefit programs to cities through their outdoor advertising such as wall murals, digital projection screens and LCD projection screens. Amherst Media sought direction and leadership regarding their interest in entering the Massachusetts advertising and real-estate development market.

Solution
After Amherst Media retained O’Neill and Associates for government relations services, O’Neill and Associates identified a Request for Proposals (RFP) from the City of Boston Redevelopment Authority to redevelop a piece of property in Boston’s historic Theatre District. The opportunity interested Amherst Media greatly due to the marquee location of the property in the Theatre District and the major electronic sign component to be included as part of the proposed development.

In response to the RFP, O’Neill and Associates served as the project lead to develop the proposed program, team and strategy to help position Amherst Media for designation. O’Neill and Associates assembled a team of industry experts including inviting world renowned architectural firm Elkus Manfredi to create an innovative design for a building never before developed in the City of Boston. Additionally, O’Neill and Associates wrote a comprehensive proposal, identified strong potential tenants for the development and sought letters of support from Boston opinion leaders in an effort to position the unknown entity of Amherst Media as a serious contender in the RFP competition. Further, O’Neill and Associates developed and implemented a community outreach and government relations campaign to position Amherst Media’s team as the superior choice for the project.

O’Neill and Associates worked to hone the messages about the benefits of Amherst Media’s proposal and customized these for each audience, including the Mayor’s Office, the Boston Redevelopment Authority, community activists and civic organizations. O’Neill and Associates authored collateral materials for use throughout the campaign, including fact sheets, project descriptions and presentations for community meetings. O’Neill and Associates also presented the development and signage proposal with Amherst Media at public meetings in an effort to gauge community sentiment and proactively address concerns early on. To insure that the messages reached all intended groups, O’Neill and Associates coordinated meetings between Amherst Media executives and key elected officials, BRA officials, community opinion leaders, opinion groups, media outlets and other key influencers. O’Neill and Associates monitored news coverage, identified signatories for letters of support and served as spokesperson for the project.

Results
Due to the unique design, strong financials and quality tenants, Amherst Media was awarded tentative designation from the BRA to reinvigorate the gateway to Boston’s historic theatre district by constructing a times-square like facade and engaging the streetscape with a new, modern development. O’Neill and Associates continues to serve Amherst Media as the project moves through the designation and permitting process with the Boston Redevelopment Authority to finalize the design and development of the project.

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