The proposals call for a series of warehouses and otherfacilities to be built at the Massport Marine Terminal toaccommodate the needs of the marine industry. Massport officialssay the winning proposals are consistent with plans to keep theharbor as a working port and could add 600 jobs to the localeconomy.

Massport says it anticipates three buildings totaling 440,400 sfwill be constructed on the site, including a warehouse with relatedoffice space. A second building would be earmarked for cold storageand seafood processing while a third property would be reserved forbulk cargo. The site, which is owned by the city but leased toMassport, was used in the past to store cars shipped to Boston. Italso served as the repository for dirt excavated during the city'sBig Dig project.

South Boston's Seaport District has undergone a revitalizationin the last few years. Last year, the Boston Convention &Exhibition Center opened along the waterfront and several hotels,offices, and residences have been built or are under construction.Plans for a metal recycling facility in the area were nixed by thecity, however, after Boston mayor Thomas Menino objected to theconstruction, saying the area was not appropriate for a"junkyard."