Note: The city of Boston has postponed the June 24 fair referenced below "due to the citywide heat emergency."

While the construction work is now well underway to renovate White Stadium for use by Boston public school students and a women’s professional soccer team, city officials are hustling to get local business owners lined up in the queue for vendor contracts once the job is done.

The last in a series of contractor and vendor “opportunity fairs” will conclude on Tues., June 24, at the William E. Reed Auditorium in Grove Hall (24 Washington St.) at 6 p.m. Previous meetings have been run in open house style, with short presentations by city officials about how local companies can seek contracts related to White Stadium, along with other city-related opportunities.

At the May 20 fair held at the Grove Hall Library, representatives from the city combined efforts with BOND Construction, which is working on the East Grandstand, and Boston Legacy FC soccer team representatives, who are working on the West Grandstand – as well as permanent opportunities once the stadium opens.

Donald Wright, the city’s deputy chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, encouraged the group of about 40 contractors, consultants, computer engineers, and even existing restaurant owners in the audience to leverage White Stadium as a business springboard.

Donald Wright, deputy chief of Economic Opportunity & Inclusion, visits with a local contractor business owner during the May 20 fair. Seth Daniel photo

“Don’t let this be the last time you engage with the city,” he said. “We’re talking about White Stadium today and there are a lot of opportunities on that project, but there are other opportunities throughout the year to contract with the city on. You are here tonight, and you met us, and you now have a contact or friend at City Hall. Don’t hesitate to use it.”

Wright added that a report several years ago showed that minority and women-owned businesses accounted for only one percent of city contracts awarded in previous administrations, but the number has improved to fourteen percent under Mayor Wu.

“We’ve done quite a bit of progress on women- and minority-owned businesses,” he said, “and there’s more to come.”

The Phase 1 Design process for White Stadium has wrapped up, but the construction phase is still in its early phases and the permanent jobs after construction are yet to be filled.

“The goal the City of Boston has set is a 50 percent goal of utilizing women- and minority-owned businesses and local businesses,” said Cat Butler of the city’s Supplier Diversity program. “The 50 percent goal is for each phase of the project – including design and construction.”

One of the companies in the audience was EpiNec, with CEO Obi Ibeto. His company specializes in cyber security solutions for small and mid-size businesses.

“I wanted to take a look at opportunities and speak with BOND Construction,” he said. “I know the stadium is going to need a bunch of IT services, computer systems and cyber-security – including cameras. I wanted to leverage that and network and hopefully use anything at White Stadium for further work with the city and BOND.”

The Dorchester-based InOrder Business Consultants has already been contracted to work with BOND to bring diverse and inclusive companies to the project. The company was established in 2014 and has found successes in bringing diverse companies to projects like the Encore Boston Harbor Casino, and the Charlestown housing redevelopment.

“We want to be a liaison,” said Dakota Jones, director of operations for InOrder. “It’s not enough to announce these opportunities and hope. You have to be pro-active and affirming and engaging with these individual businesses…It’s exciting to be involved in this kind of project to rebuild a rich civic resource.”

Jones said that as a Black-owned and local business, the company is happy to contribute to keeping all contracting local – even helping others get in the door as well.

“A lot of folks are hearing the momentum is building and they are looking for the opportunity and working this opportunity,” he said. “It’s a good start here, but we’re excited to make this project the successful project we know it can be and one that is a long time coming.”

For more information on the next opportunity fair, go here.