Chinatown meeting roundup: CSC and CRA
By Ling-Mei Wong
The Chinatown Safety Committee and Chinatown Resident Association met March 6.
The CRA discussed the Tufts University biosafety level 3 lab and had a presentation from Viridian Electric.
The Chinatown Resident Association met on March 6 at the Josiah Quincy Elementary School.
The W Hotel presented safety and security plans for its Descent nightclub space, which will be run by Storyville owner Brian Lesser. It will be renamed “Tunnel” and plans to increase capacity to 200 from 120. Safety precautions include no 21st birthday parties, no admission for aggressive individuals and a list of patrons banned for bad behavior. The committee approved the club’s plans, which will be presented to the Chinatown/South Cove Neighborhood Council on March 18.
A presentation on expanding South Station was given by Kate Fichter, MassDOT South Station Expansion Project Manager. No construction is underway, as the project is in the planning stages and will go through environmental review. The process is expected to take several years.
“We’re looking to make station bigger but also better,” Fichter said. “We want to make it more modern and a better neighbor.”
South Station will expand, after operating since 1899. (Image by Ling-Mei Wong.)
South Station offers train service for the MBTA and Amtrak, along with busing. The U.S. Postal Service has a location at South Station, which would move to make space for more trains. Proposed changes include opening up Dorchester Avenue for greater accessibility, Fichter said.
More information on the South Station project can be found at www.massdot.state.ma.us/SouthStationExpansion.
Crime report
Boston Police Department Capt. Tom Lee reported less crime in District A-1, which Chinatown is part of. “We had a 32 percent decrease in crime from last year,” he said. “This is the greatest reduction of any district in the last three months.”
Three robberies occurred in the area. A man tried to give a person some money at 660 Washington Street and had his Rolex watch taken from him on Feb. 17, Lee said.
An attempted robbery took place at Washington and LaGrange streets, with three white males trying to steal a cab driver’s cash. They fled down the street and were arrested.
A third robbery took place Feb. 15 at Maple Place and Pine Street, when a 21-year-old woman was grabbed by a black male, who tried to take her place. When she held on to her purse, he took a gold necklace off her neck. “We had one or two chain grabs before; this is the first one on those streets,” Lee said.
Drug activity was noted at South Station. “Last week alone, there were three to four arrests of marijuana or other drugs,” said Dana DeLorenzo, police officer for the MBTA Transit Police.
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