High rises in the 90's

So, the Bay Village opinions are not something always shared on this blog, but chilling in the playground I had a nice little conversation with one of the residents.

In fact this opinion is pretty much the opinion of a lot of white people who aren't part of the Chinatown culture i.e. their not part of a Kung Fu school or they didn't grow up in the neighborhood. Instead they are coming here from wealthier backgrounds and they see what they see.

To them there is only that Chinatown is getting better and when asked about what they think about the opinion that not all the changes are good, the answer is that, "Some people just want to be King of the sewer."

It's not the main opinion on this blog... but if everyone were to write in... I think it might very well be the majority opinion.

But mainly hwy I decided to write this post was because this man brought up something I had never heard before. This man, appeared to be a gay man with adopted African American children, so he is probably very progressive and probably not racist, and most of his information will come from news sources...

But he said that in the 90's there was actually an opportunity to build several High rises in Chinatown that could have accommodated low income renters.  Menino was not the Saint or the powerful force he ahd become at that time. He was the accidental Mayor who appeared to be filling in until a real poltician (an Irishman) took the helm once more. It turns out that Menino became the longest reigning Mayor in a long time but this was not yet who he was.

So he could not antagonize the powers of Boston Chinatown and South Boston share the same district for City Council. (is that right? correct me. I know the share the same district for something) In any case, The Bulgers and the powers that be were completely against these high rises because huge buildings filled with people, filled with votes, from people who would probably be Chinese but definitely (at that time) people of color would completely shift the voting scheme of the district.

So Menino had to bow to the powers that be.

Interesting though isn't it?

Would those high rises have helped or hurt Chinatown?

Well for sure, the low income housing would have been there, because that was what it was going to be. Would those buildings have sudden;y become market rent? I assume they would be similar to Tai Tung Mass Pike and Castle Square . Basically more of that and that type of population in Chinatown. Which frankly, would have meant a stronger Chinatown.

I had never heard this. Just thought it was interesting. Shoot in the 90's I was in elementary school. What did I know.