By Christopher Haraden

The Hull Redevelopment Authority last week awarded leases for its summer parking lots to two new operators, including one to the son of last year’s vendor, who remains locked in a court battle with the agency over $70,000 in unpaid lease fees.

THE HRA AWARDED CONTRACTS FOR PARKING IN LOTS A & C, and HAS RESERVED LOT B for SUMMER events.

On April 6, HRA members reviewed responses to the request for proposals to lease, operate, and manage parking areas A and C on the HRA property from May 1 through October 12.

Lot A is bounded by Phipps Street and Samoset Avenue, and lot C is the triangle parking lot at the intersection of Water Street and Hull Shore Drive. This year, there are two separate leases.

Henry Dunn Jr. submitted the highest bid for parking area A at the northern end of the property. In 2025, Dunn’s father, Henry Sr., held the contract to operate all of the parking lots – which have a capacity of 900 cars – through his company, Dunn Rite Parking, for $175,000.

This year, four bidders submitted proposals to the HRA, which awarded the lease to the highest bidder for parking area A and the highest bid and two other criteria for parking area C – the inclusion of a community business partnership plan and an electronic payment and data reporting plan. The awarding of the leases is contingent on receipt of an initial payment, the signing of the lease, and providing a certificate of insurance.

The community business partnership plan relates to the parking lot operator developing a relationship with local establishments and a plan involving allocated parking, reduced rates, or other incentives for their customers – to help promote local businesses.

In addition to Dunn Jr.’s high bid of $70,177 through his home-improvement company HJD Exteriors, proposals for area A were received from Steven Misdea (Misdea Financial and Insurance Services), $65,000; and Anthony Ghosn (Gentek LLC), $58,800.

For parking area C, Coastal Marine Properties (owned by Joseph P. Reilly) was the highest bidder at $28,148 (and the highest evaluation overall), and other bids came from Henry Dunn Jr. (HJD Exteriors), $21,777; Steven Misdea (Misdea Financial and Insurance Services), $19,600; and Anthony Ghosn (Gentek LLC), $17,800.

In January, the HRA voted unanimously to issue two separate requests for proposals for the Water and Phipps Street lots – a total of 350 spaces – leaving the main area (Lot B) open for events. These smaller areas represent about 40% of the total available parking on the redevelopment authority property. Lot B, where the annual bonfire and summer carnivals are held, also is being considered as a site for a new public safety building.

According to documents filed in Plymouth Superior Court in January, the HRA alleged that during last year’s leasing arrangement with Henry Dunn Sr., “Dunn Rite willfully, intentionally, and purposefully failed and refused to comply with the requirements” of the agreement. The HRA said Dunn did not use hand-held electronic payment devices (as specified in the contract), accepted cash payments from customers (as prohibited in the contract), and failed to submit weekly transaction data to the HRA. Dunn Rite then “refused to make its final $70,000 lease payment” in August 2025, which prompted the authority to bring legal action for breach of contract and unfair and deceptive business practices under Chapter 93A, the state’s consumer-protection statute. HRA Chair Bartley Kelly told The Times last week that the suit remains unresolved.

Click here to read the lawsuit filed by the HRA against Dunn Rite Parking

At the April 6 meeting, HRA Technical Operations Manager Mark Hamin explained at the beginning of the process that the HRA was required to not open any applications outside of a public meeting, so the applications were sealed – and opened in the order in which they were received.

The names of the applicants were written on the outside of the envelopes, and in some cases, to which parking lots their applications related.

C. Anne Murray, who is seeking a seat on the HRA in the upcoming election, thanked all the bidders for their participation and called for a “round of applause.”

Hull Nantasket Chamber of Commerce President Steven Greenberg commended the HRA “for taking stewardship of the property” and attracting more bidders this year than in the recent past.

The next HRA meeting is scheduled for April 27.

A replay of the April 6 HRA meeting is available on the Hull Community Television website, www.HullTV.net.

Carol Britton Meyer contributed to this report.

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