Developer Seeks Dismissal of Dorchester Lot Suit

POB Capital asks a Land Court judge to throw out Copper Mill's lawsuit over a failed 754-apartment project on Morrissey Boulevard.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Commercial

Wide photograph of a fenced, weed-edged vacant lot of cracked asphalt beside a brick wall under overcast Boston daylight.
POB Capital asked a Land Court judge to dismiss Copper Mill's lawsuit over a failed 754-apartment Morrissey Boulevard project after a $67.5 million purchase agreement expired. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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POB Capital has asked a Land Court judge to dismiss Copper Mill's suit over the 2.2-acre Morrissey Boulevard parcel in Dorchester after a $67.5 million purchase agreement expired on June 30, 2026 without closing. POB also asked the court to rescind a lis pendens order that attached a litigation notice to the property's Registry of Deeds records.

Why it matters

The dispute ties up a site approved in August 2025 for 754 apartments, leaving the future of the housing project in doubt while the case proceeds. Copper Mill alleges fraud and conspiracy in a separate Suffolk Superior Court suit, which POB has not yet answered.

Copper Mill agreed to pay $67.5 million for the parcel, and the purchase-and-sale agreement expired on June 30, 2026 without closing. Copper Mill seeks to force POB to accept the original offer with a 12-month extension, while POB's motion to dismiss is set for a November 16, 2026 hearing.

The players

POB Capital

A Chicago-headquartered investment firm that owns the Morrissey Boulevard parcel and is seeking dismissal of the Land Court suit.

Copper Mill

The Boston-based developer that agreed to buy the parcel for $67.5 million and filed suits in Land Court and Suffolk Superior Court.

Boston Planning Department

The city agency that approved the 754-apartment complex on the Morrissey Boulevard parcel in August 2025.

The details

POB Capital owns the parcel where WLVI once stood, and the Boston Planning Department approved two 18-story buildings with 754 apartments there in August 2025. Copper Mill says POB obstructed its fundraising and pursued a competing transaction, while POB says Copper Mill failed to secure funding in time.

Timeline

  1. August 2025: Boston Planning Department approves the 754-apartment project.

  2. June 30, 2026: Purchase-and-sale agreement expires without closing.

  3. November 16, 2026: Hearing scheduled on POB's motion to dismiss and rescind the lis pendens.

Market Landscape

The dispute arrives after the Boston Planning Department approved a 754-apartment project on the site in August 2025, so the sale collapse now stalls a project already cleared by city review. Because the parcel is a 2.2-acre site in Dorchester, its fate affects how a single approved development moves from entitlement to construction.

For Boston residents, the stalled sale means the planned 754 apartments on Morrissey Boulevard are not moving forward on a clear timeline. The court outcome will determine whether the site is developed or remains tied up in litigation.

The takeaway

Approved projects can still stall when a sale falls through, so readers tracking local housing should watch court rulings on the parcel. The November 16 hearing will show whether the dispute moves toward dismissal or continued litigation.

What happens next

A hearing on POB Capital's motion to dismiss and rescind the lis pendens is scheduled for November 16, 2026.

Further reading

Explore more on Commercial real estate in Boston for context on how sales and approvals shape local development.

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Should developers who let land deals collapse face legal penalties for stalled housing?