PARCE.L C FOR CHINATOWN! WHAT IS PARCEL C? Parcel C is located _next to a daycare tot lot and between the elementary school, elderly housing, and the primary residential area. Parcel C was promised to Chinatown in 1988 for development of a commqnity ·center by the Boston Redevelopment Authority. In Spring of 1993, NEMC proposed instead to bUild a 455-car parking garage asking the BRA for a fast track to approval. OUR DEMAND City of Boston, keep your promise! We want Parcel C for a Chinatown community center! BACKGROUND 1960s Chinatown homes on Parcel C were taken cheaply by the City and razed during urban renewal. The City then sold the land to Tufts/New England Medical Center. 1987 NEMC proposes to build a 600-car garage. Community protests; BRA rejects garage, citing housing and community development as the priority. 1988 NEMC agrees to exchange Parcel C for two parcels on Washington Street. This 1990 land swap commits Parcel C for a community center. Mayor Flynn writes, "Every piece of publicly-owned land in Chinatown must be used for affordable housing and community facilities." 1989-1992 BRA works with six community agencies to develop a design and funding plan for construction of a community center on Parcel C. Spring 1993 NEMC proposes to buy back Parcel C for a 455-car garage on Parcel C. Compensation to Chinatown would be a small community center in front of the garage or $1.8 million. BRA grants NEMC tentative designation as developer of Parcel despite opposition from thousands of community members. Sept. 1993 Independent community referendum is run by the American Friends Service Corrunittee in which 1,692 people vote against the garage and 42 in favor. Oct. 1993 Menino campaigns in Chinatown, saying the City should preserve Parcel C for community use. Candidate Menino says, "We have to live up to our commitments." Spring 1994 Coalition presents new plan for a community center on Parcel C, fulfilling the original intentions of the Chinatown Master Plan. Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs rejects NEMC's draft Environmental Impact Report. Mayor Menino takes no position on the garage. Summer 1994 NEMC conducts feasibility studies on one of two alternative garage sites. Coalition holds Recreation Day on Oak Street to demonstrate community use of Parcel C. The BRA says, "We have a commitment to NEMC." October 1994 Chinatown sets October 25 deadline for Mayor Menino and the BRA. Menino fails to respond; Chinatown demonstrates on October 25. PARTICIPATE BY CALLING MAYOR MENINO AT 635·4000 OR WRITE HIM AT MAYOR THOMAS MENINO, CITY HALL, BOSTON, MA. 02210 For more information, contact the Coalition to Protect Parcel C for Chinatown 160 Kneeland Street, Boston, MA 02111. Tel: 426-5313 or 357-4499. 1* m¥ :f:1il c itt!~ &flmfft£~1!1J!m~•- mr~••~li~+~a~••~~m~~,~ tt mit c :~&m: tW ~tifli@ ~ a<J ~tit mw 0 c :~& m: 'J' m'fl, ~~~~~~~~~-~¥~m~,~li~=+~a~ ~±·~~~~~~=~~a*•,w~mkm~~~ ~-~~~W--~~;~1/A±iliWA,**~~~ T&tirs~~, JJU~mtr.1l:T~JWJts§•, tt~: "a ~~-~c~a~~~•~,~~a~~~~~~~~ JlJJJ ~ "; _tt~3[: T --M~#r. ~ C~fti!-1&- .m.; 11 _t **~~A~~mm~~~M~~z~,~~*-~~ ti~~~p-,~mA~~~-~~-m~, a~Am ~~mm~~~-1f,~m*m~~m•~~o~** ~w~~m••$mm~0oo~-•~aM,~~mt ~~lli~o ~~1/m~~~~,~~~~~§-,~H · ~~mam~,~m~~-m~~~~~~1 Northeastern Ur verr,ity Archives 92 Snell l.lorary Boston, MA C22i '5 617 .373 2351 For stud:,.• purrosr _ .mly WnrPrt p rrr ,., ,c,r r "' :J for all ott·"::' uses. ~11tp 3; 130 0 I I c()9c. : lt<5tof/(ct. \ 1 fpc V'raflX-«J 1 lit.-13- /CA'l) WHAT IS PARCEL C? Parcel Cis a plot of land located next to 34 Oak Street, between Oak and Nassau Streets. This land which formerly belonged to Chinatown as resident housing is now owned by the City of Boston. Nearly five years ago, the Boston Redevelopment Agency (BRA) made a commitment that Parcel C would be preserved for community use, specifically to develop a 50-90,000 square foot Chinatown communty center. Recently, the BRA has changed its position on the Parcel C site for a Chinatown community center. The BRA is considering a proposal made by Tufts/New England Medical Center (NEMC) to build an eight-floor, 455-car garage on the Parcel C plot. In exchange, the Chinatown community would receive either a 10,000 square foot community center or $1.8 million. Now the Chinatown community needs to decide whether or not to accept NEMC's garage proposal. ISSUES OF CONCERN: • The City of Boston had made a commitment that Parcel C community as a location for a 50 - 90,000 square foot community center by the City of Boston. • The community center is necessary for providing vital human and social services which are now limited due to a lack of space. • The services the community center would provide include health services, ESL classes, citizenship classes, day care, after school programs, youth activities, and community space for functions serving 1000's of people currently on waiting lists. The cost of this community center is estimated at $11-$20 million dollars. • A 455 car garage would present a danger and disruption to the neighborhood because it is close to an elementary school, day care center, and elderly and residential housing. PARCEL C OIRONOLOGY OF EVENTS: 1960s Parcel C originally belonged to members of the Chinatown community. Those homes were taken by the City and razed during Uiban renewal. The City sold the land to Tufts/New England Medical Center (NEMC). 1987 NEMC proposal to build a 600 car garage on Parcel C causes community to protest; BRA rejects the proposal stating that housing and community development are the highest priority 1988 BRA. NEMC, and Chinatown agree to NEMC's purchase of land on Washington Street in exchange for returning Parcel C to the City for the purpose of developing it for community use 1989 - 1992 BRA worked with six community agencies and the Chinatown Neighborhood Council to develop a design and fundraising plan for building a 50 - 90,000 square foot community center on Parcel C 1993 BRA and NEMC are proposing to use Parcel C for a 455-car garage, and give Chinatown a small, 10,000 sq. ft. community center or $1.8 million On Tuesday, May 11, an open community meeting of residents and community organizations voted overwhelmingly to reject the proposal and oppose the garage. The Chinatown Neighborhood Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 17 at 6 pm at the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. It is important to attend to voice your opinion. - PARCEL C HISTDRICAL TII'1ELINE 1985 NH'lC begins proposals for 850-car garage on a 48,636 sq. fl. parcel of land which includes what will l ater become Parcel C. 19tH NEt'IC proposes 600-car garage. Community protests and CNC re jects garaae proposal. BRA i ssues a report in response to U1e garage proposal, st ol i ng that "TI'te BRA shou ld not sell u·1e publicly-owned lond for us8 solelu as an NEI··Jc parl-:ing garBge." Th e report recommends that housing developrnen t 1s tt'1 e highest priority, but lhal an enclosed 150-200-car garage on the Oak­ Nassau site might be incorporated if it provided cornrnunilU benefits. Steles l1'1al land use dec i sions shouid be approached via the Cl'linato\·vn J·Ja st er Plan. 1956 Perce! R3-R3A is sp lit into Parcels A and Band des1gnated tor hou ::n ng development. Use or Pt~rcel c for community space is propose\J ir1 el;CIIdl'lge for cu rnrnun ity approva l ond suppor t of NEI·JC's purcl1a St! tJ i lht p-,.L-'P-:.ta sites along Hte \:Yasl1ington Street corridor, and is seen as u·1e SliDPDrt service component oi the lwu s1n g developrnent pl an as we ll 6s a wau to address the recogntzea need for e:(pansion of luunen and social ~:e1·vices . Spr 1989 The CNC invites 60 cornmumtu-based organizet10ns anllagencies to bppltJ tcJ be planners, co-developers, and operators ot the rulLu-a cornrnunttU c.&ntel· Seven or,gon i zetions respont1, are accepted .. and form o worl~ing group (or Parcel C Advisory Group) along witl1 the CNC and the BRA : Asi6n Ann~rican Resource Workshop, Ch inatown Bous and Girls Club . Chinese Arnencan Civtc Association, Ch inese Progressive Association, South Cove Cornrnumtu ll.::alll·l Center, South Cove YI'ICA, and Quincy School Cornmuni t u CenteJ·. S t udie :~ oi communitu service needs, space needs and facilitu./ financiol fe6siliilitu ore cont1uctet1 bU the Henderson Plonning Group and consultt:mt Torn Ctutng. JuJu I 969 Exchange oi the P-4/P-.:.la sites for cornrnunilu developrnent oi Pt1rcel c documented in the NEI·IC I laster Plan (later in Cl'dnalov"·r1 CortHflllldl~J F'lani Fall 1959 BRA emd the Parcel C Advisory Group issue an RFP for desJ!)n serv1ces irJr a 90, ooo sq. ft. Cl'li na tovln Cornrnun i tu Servi ce Fac i 1it u. oncl t·ii r8s fJ8'·/E:l op1r'ltl 1l Consullarit Jonathan Tntslov·t with a BRA planning grar1l . -n -~e Parcel C developrnent 1s projected at~ 11 mi llion, to be ftnanc:e:Ll \''illl·1putJil c lll!'llh. developers· contnbut10ns, tind linkage contnbutJOri :~ . ln tl t6lln'.IGS 11Q .;:di1-JI I and planning beg ins to d81/8lop a cap ltal campaign. Jan 1990 l"l ember agencies incorporate Chinatown Comrnunitu Center, Inc., fonnalizing its role as the nonprofit oroanization speclficallu e:;tarJ!ished to over.:.t:e the p1 anni ng end deve 1op rnent of the new f aci lit u.