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Boston's planning department quietly handed Ben Weber's wife's nonprofit a 10-year lease + $341,900 in renovation money two days after Weber took over the budget

Tuesday, June 9, 2026•
3 min read
MDN Staff
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Boston's planning department quietly handed Ben Weber's wife's nonprofit a 10-year lease + $341,900 in renovation money two days after Weber took over the budget

The state Ethics Commission flagged Weber this week over a separate $1.2M grant amendment — but a Boston community whistleblower has now surfaced this city lease from months earlier.

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BOSTON — Two days after Boston City Council President Liz Breadon publicly named Boston City Councilor Ben Weber as chair of the Council's Ways and Means committee, the Boston Planning & Development Agency — the city body that approves property leases, zoning changes and development deals — took up a 10-year lease extension at the China Trade Center for the International Institute of New England — the nonprofit where Weber's wife works as a senior executive.
Breadon announced the committee assignments, naming Weber as Ways and Means chair, on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. Two days later, on Thursday, January 15, 2026, the BPDA Board of Directors meeting agenda — also filed with the Boston City Clerk — carried as Item #4 a vote to "extend the lease with International Institute of New England, Inc. for use of the 3rd floor of the China Trade Center located at 2 Boylston Street for a period of 10 years, commencing February 1, 2026 and ending January 31, 2036, with 2 five-year term renewal options."
Weber's wife, Alexandra "Xan" Weber, is the Chief Advancement Officer and Senior Vice President at the International Institute of New England, where she oversees fundraising, institutional partnerships, advocacy and strategy.
According to Dorchester community advocate John Smith-St Cyere — the same advocate who blew the whistle on Weber's conflict of interest last week — the BPDA deal also included reduced rent and a tenant improvement allowance of up to $341,900 for remodeling, design and buildout. The board passed it unanimously. No questions asked.

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The aide in the room

Per Smith-St Cyere, one of the attendees at the BPDA meeting that took up the IINE lease was Jordan Frias, listed on boston.gov as a staff member in Ben Weber's District 6 office.

48 hours after the gavel

The Weber file already includes a state Ethics Commission flag raised this week over a separate $1.2 million grant amendment that would have flowed through Weber's amendment package to IINE. Weber pulled that line from his package on Monday night and recused from any future vote restoring it — after Smith-St Cyere filed a formal ethics complaint against him.
Weber still plans to vote on the overall budget on Wednesday, citing an as-yet-unreleased written Ethics Commission opinion he says clears him to do so.
This is a developing story.

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Boston's planning department quietly handed Ben Weber's wife's nonprofit a 10-year lease + $341,900 in renovation money two days after Weber took over the budget - Mass Daily News