Chinatown Physical: Physical Development Prospectus

Opportunities
The same realities that make community development projects in Chinatown difficult provide opportunities for the community. In Chinatown, community development projects are constrained by the low turnover of property ownership, the absolute scarcity of land, an extremely high percentage (one-third) of institutional ownership, and high land values due to its proximity to downtown, the Midtown Cultural District, the South End, and the Leather District. Each of these truths have, in some manner, both protected Chinatown from adverse changes and also prevented beneficial developments.

The low turnover of property has resulted in maintaining a percentage of land in the ownership of community members. The absolute scarcity of land and high institutional ownership has, until now, prevented any "mega-developments" in Chinatown. The proximity of the Leather District and the South End has acted as a sink for high-end developers, drawing them away from Chinatown. Now, the opportunities lie in the community's ability to leverage these constraints into community control of a most critical resource, its land. As a proven community-based developer, ACDC is best positioned to capture these opportunities.

New development sites, resulting from the depression of the Central Artery and the Massachusetts Turnpike, represent an opportunity to relieve Chinatown's internal pressures and assist in the community's economic, housing, and cultural development. The opportunity to develop the air rights is a difficult challenge due to the cost and sophistication of such projects. As a leader of community participation efforts and a developer, ACDC must play an informed and active role in the initiation and implementation of future projects in order to take advantage of the potential these parcels offer. For the community to stabilize its current resources and capitalize on current opportunities, it will be necessary to competitively assert claims on the development parcels over and around the depressed roadways.

Assets
Chinatown has a number of locational assets. In combination, these provide very real opportunities to meet critical needs of the Chinatown community. The Physical Development Program assesses these strengths and assets to determine how they might be leveraged into opportunities.

Chinatown is situated at the intersection of the two major highways that traverse New England: I-93 and I-90. Every point in Chinatown is located within a five minute walk to one of the three, and soon to be four, MBTA transit lines - the Red, the Orange, the Green, and the Silver Lines. Numerous bus lines also serve Chinatown. Regional and national transit is easily accessed at the South Station Commuter Rail terminal, Bus Station terminal, Amtrak terminal, and through the new Ted Williams Tunnel to Logan Airport. Chinatown is close to the major centers of employment and entertainment in the City: the downtown, financial, and Midtown Cultural districts and the Back Bay, South End, and Waterfront/Fort Point/South Boston neighborhoods.

Challenges
Chinatown community development is constrained by outside institutional and commercial pressures for space, which become more acute during periods of economic expansion. Right now and for the foreseeable future, unprecedented levels of development plus changing expressway and public transportation configurations threaten Chinatown's continued existence as a sustainable ethnic neighborhood. Except on its southern border where development has been limited because of the "canyon" created by the Massachusetts Turnpike, Chinatown's opportunities for growth are largely precluded by major public and private developments.

Chinatown is swimming in the waters of a booming real estate market. Because of the interrelationship between the soaring economy and the value of land, the access to financing and the lack of developable land, Chinatown struggles to swim in the "rising waters" but is, instead, at risk of drowning. ACDC, as a planning, development, and community-based agency, is working to tap into the benefits of the market for the Chinatown community.

Current Threats to Chinatown's Future
More so than ever before, the prospects of commercial, residential, and cultural space gentrification seriously threaten Chinatown's future. News articles and real estate agents market Chinatown as the new hip neighborhood in which to live. The lease-up of new and soon-to-be completed office projects coupled with seemingly unlimited demand for office space threatens the affordability of nearby commercial space currently occupied by Chinatown's small businesses. Community gardens, a form of cultural space, that were predominately utilized by Asians as a source of subsistence have steadily turned over to non-Asian gardeners while there has been no decrease in demand for plots by Asians. The threat presented by large-scale developments along Chinatown's margins has been surpassed in recent months by the reality of new proposals for developments within Chinatown. Save for a portion of the Don Bosco project, none of the existing or proposed developments directly address the needs of the Chinatown community. At the same time, all of the developments directly contribute to gentrification and the loss of the cultural heart and foundation of Chinatown.

The general trend towards replacing building-specific subsidies with individual housing certificates ("mobile" Section 8 vouchers) is projected to impact the continued affordability of Chinatown's housing. These "mobile" vouchers are limited in number and allow the individual to select from a variety of housing locations. Some owners are projecting a 20% conversion of affordable units to market rate units as individuals who are given "mobile" Section 8 vouchers move out of existing affordable units. This could result in the loss of over 200 affordable units in Chinatown. Approximately 1,200 apartment units abut the Turnpike air rights along Herald Boulevard and Marginal Road. These include 1,000 affordable units and 200 moderate and market rate units. The affordable units have had close to no vacancy for the past ten years and the longest waiting list, an estimated 15 years, is maintained at Tai Tung Village. Despite this demand, less than 300 new apartments have been added to the housing stock, in and around Chinatown, during the last 20 years.

Rationale for Supporting Community-Driven Development in Chinatown
As New England's only Chinatown and, therefore, a cultural, business, social and religious center for Asians in the region, Chinatown's continued vitality and the integrity of its cultural relevance is of regional importance. The City of Boston also stands to benefit immeasurably from developments that enhance Chinatown; Chinatown adds diversity to a city of distinct neighborhoods and attracts visitors to the city. Well-planned development that addresses community needs as a primary goal can spur the growth of Chinatown as a regional attraction for tourists, as a significant addition to the local and regional quality of life, and as a home to thousands of residents and businesses.

Within Chinatown, the significant cultural presence of its Asian population, its high density, and proximity to other neighborhoods of very different character create a vibrant diversity. A multitude of cultural, religious, economic, familial, professional, and informal associations create a neighborhood defined by its people and a regional community that calls Chinatown "home." One of the best elementary schools in the City, the Quincy School, is located in Chinatown.

Involving Chinatown's residents, business community, real estate investors, and non-profit organizations will strengthen development planning in many respects. Chinatown is a special place because it is a neighborhood whose community expands beyond the physical boundaries of its geographic location; the Chinatown community is defined by the relationships individuals have with the physical neighborhood. Therefore, as the community defines the true boundaries of the neighborhood, the neighborhood also shapes the community and its members.

888 Washington Street, Suite 102 | Boston, MA 02111-1426 | 617-482-2380 t | 617-482-3056 f | info@asiancdc.org