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Speaker 1: It's Night Side with Dan Ray on w b Z,

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Speaker 1: Boston's news radio.

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Speaker 2: All right, welcome back to everyone. As we move into

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Speaker 2: our second hour.

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Speaker 3: There's a story that we spotted in the Boston Globe

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Speaker 3: in which Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn is very much

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Speaker 3: involved in.

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Speaker 2: And this is an effort too well. I don't know

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Speaker 2: if it's the last gasp of the Boston's infamous combat

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Speaker 2: zone or if it's an effort to revitalize what what's

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Speaker 2: what once was a real sore spot in the in

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Speaker 2: the downtown area, in the Washington Stuart Street area, but

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Speaker 2: there are only now two. And again the phrase that

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Speaker 2: people will use, you know, I guess one is called

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Speaker 2: the gentleman's club, or some would say, you know, teased places.

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Speaker 2: I've referred to them jokingly, and I'm not going to

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Speaker 2: refer to them jokingly tonight as emporium of interpretive dance.

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Speaker 2: There's no joking matter to the to the residents who

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Speaker 2: live nearby and who are raising their families in some

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Speaker 2: proximity to the combats and with us is Ed Flynn ed?

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Speaker 2: What's going on? What? What has got this controversy going?

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Speaker 2: I guess one of these places wants to move. I

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Speaker 2: guess it's a club called Centerfolds. I think everybody can

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Speaker 2: understand what the purpose of Centerfolds is. They want to

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Speaker 2: move from La Grain Street, which is kind of a

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Speaker 2: little side street in what was the combat zone, and

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Speaker 2: they want to take over with the restaurant Jacob Worth

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Speaker 2: was on Stuart Street, which is a very prominent location.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, good evening, Dan, that's correct. They want to move

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Speaker 4: from Lagrange Street to Stuart Street. The building right next

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Speaker 4: to Jacob Wirth, which was the German restaurant, was a

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Speaker 4: wonderful place. But basically the the establishment is able to

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Speaker 4: do that under the zoning as of right, which means

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Speaker 4: they need limited or actually no approval really from the

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Speaker 4: city other than licensing in entertainment. But they don't need

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Speaker 4: any support really from the zoning Board of BPDA because

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Speaker 4: it's as of right, which means they can have almost

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Speaker 4: no community process in terms of moving from Lagrange Street

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Speaker 4: to Stuart Street out the game.

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Speaker 2: So let me make sure I understand that in the so,

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Speaker 2: if I owned let's say, a sporting goods store on

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Speaker 2: the street, or or I owned a restaurant on the

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Speaker 2: Grain Street and I had an opportunity to move to

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Speaker 2: a better location on Stuart Street. The fact that I'm

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Speaker 2: already there, I just want to transfer, you know what,

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Speaker 2: I want to sell one property and buy another. Uh,

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Speaker 2: is I would have that right. And you're saying that

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Speaker 2: Centerfolds does, but because they serve alcohol, they do the

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Speaker 2: Is there any food or is it just alcohol?

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Speaker 4: I don't know, I know it's it's it's definitely alcohol.

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Speaker 4: I don't know if they serve food there.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's that's probably what basically keeps the Center Folds open.

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Speaker 2: I'm sure that's their coin of the realm is that

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Speaker 2: because they need to transfer the liquor license. Is that

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Speaker 2: where the hang up is or is it a different

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Speaker 2: sort of hang up?

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Speaker 4: No, there's really no hang up, Dan. The The issue

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Speaker 4: is it's that Stuart Street area is already zoned for

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Speaker 4: basically for adult entertainment. In because it's because it's already

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Speaker 4: zoned for adult entertainment, there's limited permitting and community process

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Speaker 4: engagement that you need from the city. However, you do

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Speaker 4: need support from the city in terms of alcohol and entertainment.

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Speaker 4: Those types of licenses, which are much easier to get

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Speaker 4: than say a zoning.

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Speaker 2: Variance Okay, so there's no variance required here. Now there was.

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Speaker 2: This was this was designated not by the city council

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Speaker 2: or the mayor of today. This was designated, i think

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Speaker 2: in the nineteen seventies as sort of an adult entertainment

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Speaker 2: district where they were trying to keep all of these

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Speaker 2: places in one area. That's my memory of it. Is

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Speaker 2: that accurate?

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Speaker 4: That is accurate in And what what I'm proposing would

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Speaker 4: be a text amendment to the City of Boston zoning

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Speaker 4: rules which would say that if you want to open

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Speaker 4: up an establishment, you need to go through a community process, engagement,

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Speaker 4: engaging with the community, which also means that it would

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Speaker 4: not be as of right and you would have to

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Speaker 4: go through a thorough community process.

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Speaker 2: So what what about? What about if Centerfolds argued and said, well, look,

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Speaker 2: we're not opening up a business, we have been operating

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Speaker 2: this business in this location and we're simply looking to move.

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Speaker 2: It would would your amendment, you know, cause them to

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Speaker 2: jump through a couple of extra hoops?

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Speaker 4: I think Dan that the only hoop that Centerfolds has

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Speaker 4: to go through now is the licensing in alcohol licenses permitting,

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Speaker 4: which is a far easier process for them. To go

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Speaker 4: through than the typical zoning Board of Appeals and or

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Speaker 4: Boston Planning Permitting as well.

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Speaker 2: Okay, so it sounds to me like what you're trying

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Speaker 2: to do is it doesn't sound like you feel there's

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Speaker 2: a great deal of hope that this centerfolds can be

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Speaker 2: contained to a grain street. But looks to me like

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Speaker 2: your focus is that you don't want all of a

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Speaker 2: sudden centifolds to open and another one and another one

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Speaker 2: and another one and kind of go back. You mentioned

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Speaker 2: today that when your dad became mayor, there were twenty

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Speaker 2: twenty two strip joints in the combat zone area, and

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Speaker 2: when he left to become the ambassador to the Vatican,

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Speaker 2: that number have been reduced to four. And here it

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Speaker 2: is today too. So are you trying to base saying, oh, look,

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Speaker 2: we might not be able to stop centifolds from relocated,

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Speaker 2: but we sure can stop this type of establishment from

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Speaker 2: propagating more and more and spreading more and more.

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Speaker 4: Is that where you are, Dan, That's a big part

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Speaker 4: of my argument. But I also owe it to my

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Speaker 4: constituents to fight for them and make sure that their

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Speaker 4: voices are heard and respected. As it relates to the

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Speaker 4: proposal for centifolds as well. I'm going to do everything

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Speaker 4: I can to make sure my constituents are heard, but

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Speaker 4: even more importantly, are respected. I don't think they have

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Speaker 4: been heard or respected so far in this process, and

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Speaker 4: I just don't want this to be a rubber stamp.

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Speaker 4: I do want it to be a community process and

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Speaker 4: to listen and respect the residents. I think many people

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Speaker 4: don't know the history of the combat Zone. It's important

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Speaker 4: that we learn about it and we discuss it in

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Speaker 4: the negative impact it had on Chinatown and communities of

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Speaker 4: color in Boston.

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Speaker 2: Well, yeah, I can remember as a very young television

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Speaker 2: reporter now it's almost fifty years ago, when a young

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Speaker 2: Harvard football player on the night after the Harvard Yale game,

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Speaker 2: went with some of his friends into the combat Zone

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Speaker 2: and he ended up with his group ended up in

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Speaker 2: some sort of a fight, and he was stabbed. It

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Speaker 2: at a young man named Andy Popolo, who today would

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Speaker 2: probably be in his seventies if he had had not

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Speaker 2: been killed that night. And although there were other people

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Speaker 2: along the way who were beaten up, killed, stabbed, or whatever,

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Speaker 2: the fact that there was a young guy who had

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Speaker 2: played football that day for Harvard against Yale it kind

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Speaker 2: of home the point to a lot of people that

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Speaker 2: the combat zone, which might have from the outside looked

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Speaker 2: like a place of entertainment, but it wasn't an entertainment

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Speaker 2: which was going to result in someone's death. And at

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Speaker 2: least that's you were very young at the time. I

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Speaker 2: know that you probably don't have specific recall, but it

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Speaker 2: shook the city councilor dramatically.

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Speaker 5: Yeah.

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Speaker 4: I don't remember that, but I do remember learning about that.

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Speaker 4: But Dan, for your listeners, I went to high school

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Speaker 4: for four years basically in the combat zone, which was

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Speaker 4: Don Bosco High School. Yeah, it was a great school

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Speaker 4: from nineteen eighty three to nineteen eighty seven when I graduated.

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Speaker 4: But even at that time, it was, in my opinion,

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Speaker 4: it was a dangerous area to walk up for a

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Speaker 4: month street or to walk up Washington Street, and it

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Speaker 4: wasn't It wasn't safe. In residents to this day talk

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Speaker 4: to me about how improved Chinatown is without the drug dealing,

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Speaker 4: the prostitution, the violence. So because of that, Dan, I

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Speaker 4: want to do everything I possibly can to support my constituents.

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Speaker 4: I think they deserve that and they earn that.

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Speaker 2: Okay, I'm going to open up phone lines here. I'd

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Speaker 2: like to hear from anyone who wants to offer an

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Speaker 2: opinion here. I guess the fundamental question is do we

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Speaker 2: as a society want to have this type of entertainment available,

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Speaker 2: even when it is done without some of the criminal

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Speaker 2: activity that has traditionally surrounded it. Are there places where

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Speaker 2: this can be done? Obviously Las Vegas As has a

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Speaker 2: lot of adult entertainment themes. Not everyone can go to

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Speaker 2: Las Vegas US. My guest is Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn.

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Speaker 2: He represents a large portion of Boston, but specifically we're

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Speaker 2: talking tonight about what is colloquially known as Chinatown. There

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Speaker 2: are restaurants, but there's also about five thousand people and

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Speaker 2: families who live in that community. So feel free give

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Speaker 2: us a call six one, seven, two, five, four ten

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Speaker 2: thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty. Obviously,

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Speaker 2: lawyers will get involved, despite what maybe Council of Flynn

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Speaker 2: is hoping to try to do, and maybe he recognizes

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Speaker 2: that at the end of the day, this move from

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Speaker 2: La Green Street to Stuart Street might not be able

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Speaker 2: to be stopped. I mean, one of the arguments was

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Speaker 2: that we need these sort of clubs to UH to

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Speaker 2: bring conventioneers to Boston, which to me sounds nuts, totally nuts.

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Speaker 2: But maybe I'm a little more naive that I that

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Speaker 2: I realize six one seven, two, five, four ten thirty

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Speaker 2: six one seven nine three one ten thirty. This may

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Speaker 2: only immediately impact a portion of the city where you

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Speaker 2: are not living, but you are more than welcome to

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Speaker 2: weigh in on it. And the question would be, would

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Speaker 2: you welcome if you think this sort of establishment should

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Speaker 2: be allowed and licensed and operational uh in the the

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Speaker 2: old combat zone that is, you know, also referred to

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Speaker 2: as part of it as Chinatown. Would you want it

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Speaker 2: in your neighborhood? Feel free to join the conversation one

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Speaker 2: way or the other. Back on nights Side with Boston

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Speaker 2: City Council Ed Flynn.

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Speaker 1: It's night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.

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Speaker 2: All Right, City Councilor Ed Flynn, Let's get to the

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Speaker 2: phones and see what what folks have to say on

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Speaker 2: this one. I'm going to start it off with Ron

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Speaker 2: in Roxbury. Ron and Roxbury, you are first up this

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Speaker 2: hour on Nightside.

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Speaker 6: Go right ahead, Hi, Dan, this is Ron. I met

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Speaker 6: both of you at one time. I'm going old enough

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Speaker 6: to remember the original Scully Square and that was the

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Speaker 6: combat zone way back when, and that's.

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Speaker 2: Down where City Hall is today, correct historically.

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Speaker 6: Yeah, correctly.

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Speaker 7: Yeah.

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Speaker 6: And then I guess the attract when it moved to

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Speaker 6: Washington Street and so forth, that was the attraction was

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Speaker 6: mostly the dancing girls and the heavy drinking. And I

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Speaker 6: don't know if dancing girls is part of the licensing

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Speaker 6: system that is causing this place to move from one

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Speaker 6: place to the other or no, they just want to.

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Speaker 2: I think that it is better with this than I am.

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Speaker 2: I think it's a better location. It's more it's more

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Speaker 2: centrally located. I assume it's location, location, location, ed.

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Speaker 4: Well, that's that's part of it, Dan, But the big

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Speaker 4: part of it is the owner of the building wants

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Speaker 4: to do something else with it and not have not

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Speaker 4: have the entertainment in there, whether or not they want

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Speaker 4: to put a new business or development. That is the

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Speaker 4: reason that basically the a lease will be up very soon,

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Speaker 4: I believe.

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Speaker 2: Oh, okay, so the new so the owner of the

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Speaker 2: building wants to have a business in there where people

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Speaker 2: keep their clothes on.

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Speaker 4: Okay, fair enough, Yep, that's exactly right.

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Speaker 2: Okay, go ahead.

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Speaker 6: RD Yeah, I'm just curious the memory of Scully Square

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Speaker 6: and so forth in the convert zone. I don't think

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Speaker 6: one business would probably make the area that much worse

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Speaker 6: in my opinion.

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Speaker 2: Well, the only problem is that for those who live

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Speaker 2: there ed observation, which is probably accurate.

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Speaker 6: Maybe we don't want that in pebody who knows, Yeah,

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Speaker 6: well they do have it.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

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Speaker 4: The only thing I would add is will open a

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Speaker 4: new location almost encourages in my opinion, for others to

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Speaker 4: open up, and it signals that Boston wants these types

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Speaker 4: of establishments in the city. But there has to be

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Speaker 4: a role for residents. And residents have fought and put

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Speaker 4: up with the combat zone for years, especially the Chinese community,

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Speaker 4: and they're asking for respect. They know how bad it

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Speaker 4: was when the combat zone was fully operational. They couldn't

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Speaker 4: leave their homes or visit their family of friends. I

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Speaker 4: was talking to an elderly woman last night, in fact,

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Speaker 4: Ruth Moy, a leader in the Chinatown community, and she

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Speaker 4: was telling me about what the combat zone meant to

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Speaker 4: the Chinese community, and they were very frightened about it.

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Speaker 4: They didn't feel safe walking up from Unt Street or

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Speaker 4: Washington Street, or visiting people or going to the park,

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Speaker 4: going to the Boston Common, or up towards downtown crossing.

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Speaker 4: So I want to make sure that Chinatown residents are

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Speaker 4: respect it and the process. And again, as I said

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Speaker 4: at the beginning, I don't feel like they have been,

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Speaker 4: and that's my job to fight for them.

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Speaker 6: So it sounds like this establishment might have a fight

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Speaker 6: on their hands, depending on if the residents prevail. Well, okay,

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Speaker 6: I just wanted to say hy and give my two cents.

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Speaker 2: Well, Ron, thank you very much for calling. I appreciate

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Speaker 2: it very much. Great to renew our acquaintances. Thank you

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Speaker 2: so much. Ron.

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Speaker 6: Okay, a good night.

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Speaker 4: Thanks listening tonight you too, run Okay, take care. Thanks Ron.

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Speaker 2: We're going to take a quick break for some news

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Speaker 2: at the bottom of the hour. If you would like

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Speaker 2: the one line at six one, seven, two, five, four,

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Speaker 2: ten thirty. Also we have lines at six one seven

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Speaker 2: ninety ed more phone call was await us on the

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Speaker 2: other side. We got about a three or four minute

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Speaker 2: break here for news at the bottom of the hour,

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Speaker 2: and we will be right back. I do have a

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Speaker 2: lot of questions myself, and I know that you know

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Speaker 2: this situation much better than I do. One of the

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Speaker 2: questions we're going to have to ask is how quickly

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Speaker 2: do you think this either will get resolved or not

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Speaker 2: be resolved. We can talk about that. Is there some

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Speaker 2: sort of a time constraint that obviously if the building,

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Speaker 2: if the lease is running out, there is a time constraint,

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Speaker 2: And does that work in the advantage of the community

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Speaker 2: in Chinatown or against the community in Chinatown, because I

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Speaker 2: could see it working both ways, maybe even simultaneously. But

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Speaker 2: you have the answer. I only have the question. Back

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Speaker 2: on Night's Side right after this.

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Speaker 1: It's Night Side with Dan Ray on w Boston's news radio.

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Speaker 2: All right, let us go across the river to Steve

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Speaker 2: and Cambridge. Hey, Steve, welcome back. You're all with Ed Flynn.

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Speaker 2: How are you, Steve.

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Speaker 8: I'm well, Dan. I hope you and Count switz Flynn

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Speaker 8: are both well.

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Speaker 2: We're doing great and it's better hearing your voice. Haven't

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Speaker 2: heard you in a couple of weeks.

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Speaker 8: Go right ahead, Count foot Flynn. And I'm really opposed

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Speaker 8: to your thinking. I think that Centerfolds has been there

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Speaker 8: many many years. Uh, it has uh customers that like it,

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Speaker 8: it has employees, they've paid taxes. I think to give

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Speaker 8: them a hard time just because they want to move

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Speaker 8: a couple of blocks to stay afloat, to stay in business.

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Speaker 8: I think to prevent that would be a real shame.

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Speaker 4: Well, thank you, thank you Dan for your your call.

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Speaker 4: I respect you.

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Speaker 2: This is Steve. This is Steve from Cabridge. I do

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Speaker 2: not associate myself with those oh Steve, but Steve's a

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Speaker 2: good guy.

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Speaker 8: Thank you Dan, Thank you Dan.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, thank you, Steve. I respect your opinion. I disagree.

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Speaker 4: I have an obligation as the district's city councilor to

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Speaker 4: fight for my constituents, and that's exactly what but what

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Speaker 4: I'm doing. I believe they have the right to have

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Speaker 4: their voices heard at city Hall. That's what this is

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Speaker 4: really about. Do the residents of Chinatown have the right

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Speaker 4: to express themselves at city Hall about development that's taking

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Speaker 4: place in their district. If you were to open up

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Speaker 4: a bakery or a sandwich shop, you would have to

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Speaker 4: go through a community process, But in this case, you don't.

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Speaker 4: I think that's unfair and I need to do everything

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Speaker 4: I possibly can to advocate for my constituents. And that's

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Speaker 4: what I'm doing. And I respect your position, and I

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Speaker 4: do know many people disagree with me. But I'm not

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Speaker 4: taking and choosing which issues to work on. I have

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Speaker 4: to work on the issues that are in front of

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Speaker 4: me that impact my constituents, and my constituents want me

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Speaker 4: to fight for them, and that's exactly what I'm going

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Speaker 4: to do.

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Speaker 8: I would like to make one other point is I

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Speaker 8: for many years, well for many years, worked in Park Square,

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Speaker 8: and Park Square was a little bit it wasn't like

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Speaker 8: it is now. There was a little bit more funky,

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Speaker 8: if you will. And I used to go into the

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Speaker 8: combat zone with some frequency. I felt safer in the

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Speaker 8: combat zone at night than I did in the back

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Speaker 8: bay because in the combat zone there were people on

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Speaker 8: the street, there were policemen. You could walk down Marlborough

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Speaker 8: Street or Commonwealth Avenue after ten o'clock and it would

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Speaker 8: be deserted.

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Speaker 4: You could be.

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Speaker 8: Attacked and no one would even know it. So I

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Speaker 8: don't think the combat I felt safe in the combat zone.

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Speaker 2: Let me ask you this, Steve, what about for the

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Speaker 2: perspective from people who live in Chinatown and there are

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Speaker 2: families there who have been there a long time, kids

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Speaker 2: in school, what sort of empathy do you have for

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Speaker 2: this set a certain ccumstances where they're living, you know

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Speaker 2: through really they are choosing to live there, but they're

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Speaker 2: choosing to live there because it isn't an area where

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Speaker 2: they can be comfortable from a familial point of view,

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Speaker 2: a generational point of view. What do you say to them, though,

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Speaker 2: why do they have to deal with this? In other

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Speaker 2: communities it is not allowed, you know, certainly you wouldn't

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Speaker 2: have something like this in Cambridge, as open minded as

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Speaker 2: Cambridge is.

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Speaker 8: Well, I mean this kind of hyper restrictive zoning I'm

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Speaker 8: not terribly in favor of. But Dan, one thing you've

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Speaker 8: got to remember also is when those bars and restaurants

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Speaker 8: closed in the combat zone, the restaurants in Chinatown were

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Speaker 8: jumping until four o'clock in the morning. They were.

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Speaker 2: It's a commercial area, but just as an overlay of

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Speaker 2: you know, you know, the tie of activity. It's not

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Speaker 2: what you call a family friendly sort of activity. That's

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Speaker 2: all I would be. You know that someone alluded to

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Speaker 2: a couple of places up on Route one that's in

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Speaker 2: a pure commercial area. I don't think there's much of

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Speaker 2: an impact. There can be places where where these are allowed,

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Speaker 2: But I tend to decide with Council of Flynn on

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Speaker 2: this one, and he has to really be protective of

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Speaker 2: his constituents. And I'm sure you understand that.

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Speaker 8: Oh, no, of course, and I have great respect for

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Speaker 8: the Flynn family, including him and his father.

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Speaker 4: You know, my assistant has worked for me for eight years.

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Speaker 4: Her name is Melissa, and she's a graduate of the

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Speaker 4: public school system in Boston, lived in Bonn and raised

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Speaker 4: and still lives on Beech Street with her family still

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Speaker 4: there on Knapp Street. Really, and she would be telling

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Speaker 4: me and her family would be telling me stories of

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Speaker 4: how even a young young women were propositioned coming home

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Speaker 4: from school or going to school, and you know, the

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Speaker 4: young Chinese women were harassed by people late at night.

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Speaker 4: The women of Chinatown didn't feel safe the Leather District

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Speaker 4: or downtown Bosh and those are neighborhoods and they're just

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Speaker 4: asking for a little bit of respect from city hall,

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Speaker 4: and oftentimes city Hall doesn't stand with them. But I

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Speaker 4: think in this case we need to ensure that residents'

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Speaker 4: voices are heard and respected. And I don't think we

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Speaker 4: can just necessarily ignore them because it's politically incorrect.

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Speaker 8: No, but we also have to listen to a business

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Speaker 8: that's been there for many years. Thank you both.

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Speaker 2: Thank you both, Steve, Thank you, Thank you, Steve.

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Speaker 8: Good night counselor good night Steve.

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Speaker 2: So, as I mentioned earlier, with the time constraints of

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Speaker 2: this least running out and the one the owner wanted

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Speaker 2: to bring in a different type of thing into the

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Speaker 2: current location on Gray Street, what's sort of a time

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Speaker 2: frame where you're looking out here with this This has

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Speaker 2: to be solved within Is it a matter of weeks

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Speaker 2: or a matter of months or even or even sooner?

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Speaker 4: No, I think it's I think it's imminent. I think

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Speaker 4: it's within months. I believe the establishment is going to

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Speaker 4: go to the community soon, and that means that in

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Speaker 4: terms of advocating for their position to have entertainment or

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Speaker 4: alcohol license, those community meetings will probably begin in the

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Speaker 4: next thirty sixty days, and I would expect that they

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Speaker 4: will be at the licensing board probably in the next

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Speaker 4: couple of months or so.

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Speaker 2: All right, let me get one more in here before

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Speaker 2: the break, and I go to Joe and Belmont. Joe,

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Speaker 2: you're next on nights Side with fosteron City Council or

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Speaker 2: Ed Flynn. Go ahead, Joe, I have.

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Speaker 5: A question and a solution out of the seven or

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Speaker 5: fifteen movie the eighties on Washington Stewart in Threemont many

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Speaker 5: can you name Ed and Dan?

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Speaker 2: I didn't realize there were fifteen there, Kevin.

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Speaker 5: Maybe I'm the fifties in the fifties.

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Speaker 2: I'm not interested to doing a trivia because my solution.

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Speaker 5: My solution is, you know, like the Squire Club in

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Speaker 5: the Golden Banana, why don't they put the uh the

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Speaker 5: combat zone in the woods in an area or in

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Speaker 5: Cape cart and see how they like it.

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Speaker 2: Well, I guess that's always a possibility. There's there's there's

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Speaker 2: a variety of places. There's also you know, places out

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Speaker 2: in the one twenty eight area. You fly over out

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Speaker 2: of Logan Airport and you realize how much land is available.

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Speaker 2: I don't know. I mean Ed is interested in his constituents, Joe.

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Speaker 2: I'm sure that if there was something like this to

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Speaker 2: open up in Belmont, you would want an advocate as

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Speaker 2: strong as Ed Flynn in in your local government.

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Speaker 5: Could I say something to compliment about Ed's father? Twenty second?

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Speaker 5: Twenty seconds, I'm almost old enough to see your father.

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Speaker 5: Ed played basketball down at Trump Field in Somer Bowl

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Speaker 5: in fifty six.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, he played a lot of basketball in Cambridge and

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Speaker 4: Somerville and Allington and Belmonty. He would he would play

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Speaker 4: sports down there with a lot of the guys there,

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Speaker 4: And you're exactly right in the fifties and sixties, whether

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Speaker 4: it was baseball, basketball, or football, and a lot of

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Speaker 4: great athletes there.

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Speaker 5: You knows Tommy Kelly and Paul Howard from somerveall he

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Speaker 5: played on their team down in Somerville. And I would

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Speaker 5: like you to become an ambassador to the Vatican in

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Speaker 5: Mayor of Boston.

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Speaker 2: Well, we'll have to see what it was, have to

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Speaker 2: see what what Ed's future holds it Sore. I think

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Speaker 2: he'd be capable at both of those jobs. Thank you, Joe,

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Speaker 2: appreciate your calling.

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Speaker 4: It was a pleasure, Dan, thank you, thank you.

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Speaker 2: Got to take a very quick break. We got the

439
00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:02,160
Speaker 2: lines lit up up here. I got Sander in Boston,

440
00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:04,360
Speaker 2: I got Nick and Winchester, Richie in Boston, and christ

441
00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:06,280
Speaker 2: and Boston. We're going to get all of those four

442
00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:08,960
Speaker 2: in and we'll be back on nightside right after this break.

443
00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:11,280
Speaker 2: The only line is six, one, seven, two, five, four,

444
00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:12,640
Speaker 2: ten thirty.

445
00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:17,200
Speaker 1: You're on night side with Dan Ray on waz Boston's

446
00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:17,879
Speaker 1: news radio.

447
00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:21,000
Speaker 2: Okay, we have full lines. We may carry this into

448
00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:23,919
Speaker 2: the next hour if you want so, stay right there, everybody,

449
00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:26,359
Speaker 2: let us get going here. I'm gonna go next to

450
00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:29,240
Speaker 2: Richie and Boston. Richie, you are next on nightside with

451
00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:31,359
Speaker 2: Boston City Council Ed Flynn. Go ahead, rich.

452
00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:34,560
Speaker 9: Hey, Dan Ed good to be with you.

453
00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:34,760
Speaker 5: Dan.

454
00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:37,240
Speaker 9: This is versus Hicleau Downtown Boston Near but Association. We

455
00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:39,680
Speaker 9: were on together almost a year ago at this court

456
00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:40,600
Speaker 9: talking about safety.

457
00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:43,040
Speaker 2: Thank you for very identifying you. So go right ahead.

458
00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:45,040
Speaker 9: Absolutely so listen.

459
00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:46,280
Speaker 7: Council Fun and I.

460
00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:48,919
Speaker 9: Have worked together on many, many, many things, and my

461
00:27:49,119 --> 00:27:51,520
Speaker 9: neighbors in Chinatown and I we were recording a lot

462
00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:55,080
Speaker 9: of things, quality life issues, transportation, planning, zoning, development, safety,

463
00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:57,400
Speaker 9: and what I want to say tonight is this isn't

464
00:27:57,440 --> 00:28:01,480
Speaker 9: about perception, or about safety, or about the kind of

465
00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:04,080
Speaker 9: business we're talking about. This is just about pure common sense.

466
00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:04,400
Speaker 4: Right.

467
00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:08,359
Speaker 9: We just rezoned the entirety of downtown Boston and Chinatown's

468
00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:11,760
Speaker 9: going through this, and you can't have it both ways.

469
00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:12,320
Speaker 1: As a city.

470
00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:14,440
Speaker 9: You want to attract families and you want to create

471
00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:17,399
Speaker 9: quality of life opportunities for everybody who lives here. You

472
00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:19,439
Speaker 9: got to respect the community and you got to respect

473
00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:20,720
Speaker 9: the people who want to live here.

474
00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:21,960
Speaker 1: And the times have changed.

475
00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:24,120
Speaker 9: This isn't a combat zones, This isn't thirty forty years

476
00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:27,959
Speaker 9: ago anymore. This is current day, twenty twenty five, and

477
00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:30,440
Speaker 9: so we have to be more thoughtful as a city

478
00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:34,000
Speaker 9: about how we think about zoning. The zoning system in Boston,

479
00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:37,560
Speaker 9: from my perspective, is entirely broken, right, and so if

480
00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:40,200
Speaker 9: a business wants to do business as of right, that's

481
00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:43,280
Speaker 9: one thing twenty thirty years ago. But today we need

482
00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:45,320
Speaker 9: to respect the community. And I just wanted to call

483
00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:47,400
Speaker 9: in on behalf of my friends here in Chinatown to

484
00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:50,000
Speaker 9: say that we have to do better when it comes

485
00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:53,200
Speaker 9: to vetting businesses. Right, what's your security plan, what are

486
00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:56,120
Speaker 9: your hours, what are your operational plans? What do you

487
00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:58,440
Speaker 9: intend to do there? What are you doing differently than before?

488
00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:01,040
Speaker 9: These are common sense things that any business should be

489
00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:01,640
Speaker 9: able to answer.

490
00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:02,320
Speaker 7: And it's not.

491
00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:04,080
Speaker 9: Supposed to be a gotcha. It's not supposed to be

492
00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:07,720
Speaker 9: a let's suppress business or capitalism. It's the opposite, right,

493
00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:09,840
Speaker 9: It's let's make sure the will of the community is

494
00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:13,600
Speaker 9: respected and that we have a logical path forward. And

495
00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:15,600
Speaker 9: I think that's a lush thing for us to all

496
00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:18,440
Speaker 9: want to see happened here in Boston. So yeah, I

497
00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:20,800
Speaker 9: just wanted to call in to say I am fully

498
00:29:20,840 --> 00:29:24,280
Speaker 9: supportive of our friends and shout it down to making

499
00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:27,320
Speaker 9: sure that they have the support that they need to

500
00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:30,400
Speaker 9: vet a business that wants to expand itself or relocate

501
00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:33,520
Speaker 9: itself in the heart of the city. And obviously you

502
00:29:33,520 --> 00:29:36,440
Speaker 9: know Lagrange Street is very, very different than Neiland or Stewart.

503
00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:39,800
Speaker 9: Anybody who's from Boston knows that. And for you know

504
00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:41,959
Speaker 9: the reasons you discussed earlier. I think Steve mentioned it

505
00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:46,000
Speaker 9: your last caller. You wouldn't have this discussion in Wellesley

506
00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:53,680
Speaker 9: or Newton or Cambridge or Rosindale.

507
00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:55,880
Speaker 2: I got back lines. Thank you for your kind words.

508
00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:57,960
Speaker 2: I'm sure counselor of Flynn wants to thank you for

509
00:29:58,000 --> 00:29:58,600
Speaker 2: your support.

510
00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:01,440
Speaker 4: Yeah, thank you, she thank you for your leadership.

511
00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:04,640
Speaker 9: You got thanks, guys.

512
00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:08,840
Speaker 2: Talk to you soon to go to Sandra in Boston. Sandra,

513
00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:09,480
Speaker 2: you were next.

514
00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:13,000
Speaker 10: Time nights, go right ahead, Hi, Dan, Hi consor Flint.

515
00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:19,320
Speaker 10: I think this area of our town has evolved quite

516
00:30:19,320 --> 00:30:22,240
Speaker 10: a bit. It is what I call the theater district.

517
00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:27,360
Speaker 10: And I actually knew Princess Cheyenne, which was the big

518
00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:30,640
Speaker 10: act when I was first came to Boston, she used

519
00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:36,120
Speaker 10: to come and take dance classes at a school where

520
00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:42,160
Speaker 10: I was teaching. And I think since that time, a

521
00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:45,960
Speaker 10: lot of the script joints and whatnot have left, and

522
00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:49,680
Speaker 10: a lot of the theaters that were crumbling and are

523
00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:54,120
Speaker 10: in total were in total disarray have been renovated. Things

524
00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:58,600
Speaker 10: like the Modern Theater and a number of other theaters.

525
00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:01,000
Speaker 10: Well even the Opera House where you go to see

526
00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:04,600
Speaker 10: a ballet. Now, I mean that was a mess, and

527
00:31:06,320 --> 00:31:09,360
Speaker 10: I think it's really an evolving place. But it is

528
00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:12,360
Speaker 10: the theater district, and there's always going to be a

529
00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:15,560
Speaker 10: lot of stuff going on there. And I think the

530
00:31:15,720 --> 00:31:19,880
Speaker 10: Chinese restaurants actually benefited quite a bit from the some

531
00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:23,200
Speaker 10: of the late night activities. As Stephen points out, you know.

532
00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:26,800
Speaker 2: People and order cold tea.

533
00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:32,520
Speaker 10: But I think you're right to listen very closely to

534
00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:35,880
Speaker 10: all the different voices in the neighborhood and and I

535
00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:39,560
Speaker 10: think all our neighborhoods are changing pretty dramatically, a whole

536
00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:43,520
Speaker 10: different environment. I mean, I wish, you know, Boylston Street

537
00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:47,920
Speaker 10: and Newberry Street haven't hadn't become the pot alley, the

538
00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:52,160
Speaker 10: you know weed shop alley that they've become, so I

539
00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:56,440
Speaker 10: credit you for listening to your constituency. I wish people

540
00:31:56,480 --> 00:31:58,120
Speaker 10: listened a little bit more well.

541
00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:01,640
Speaker 2: Thank you for your kind words and also a little

542
00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:06,160
Speaker 2: perspective on how the area has changed. Is no longer

543
00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:08,880
Speaker 2: the combat zone is the Theater District. That's a really

544
00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:10,480
Speaker 2: good point, you mate. Thank you so much.

545
00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:13,520
Speaker 4: Yeah, thank you, Sandra. And what I tried to do

546
00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:17,720
Speaker 4: as a city councilor too, what happens in the Theater

547
00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:20,800
Speaker 4: District or Bay Village or Downtown Boston or the Leather

548
00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:25,120
Speaker 4: District has an impact on every neighborhood in and around

549
00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:29,520
Speaker 4: that area, in Chinatown in other areas. But Reschi was

550
00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:33,480
Speaker 4: on what I worked on too for the last eight years,

551
00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:38,400
Speaker 4: is building a better relationship between the residents of Downtown Chinatown,

552
00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:43,280
Speaker 4: Leather District, Bay Village. They're working well together, they're supporting

553
00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:46,840
Speaker 4: each other, there's no rivalry. They're doing the best for

554
00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:50,440
Speaker 4: each other, especially during difficult times. And that's what I

555
00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:54,000
Speaker 4: love about the district is everybody pitches in when things

556
00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:58,240
Speaker 4: are things are down, and people are supporting the residents

557
00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:01,520
Speaker 4: of Chinatown, and that was not always the case. And

558
00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:05,160
Speaker 4: I'm really proud to see people rallying around the residents

559
00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:06,920
Speaker 4: of Chinatown. That really makes me happy.

560
00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:09,200
Speaker 2: Sounds great, Sandra, thank you for your call very much.

561
00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:11,560
Speaker 2: I appreciate We got two three more going to try

562
00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:13,320
Speaker 2: to get in. Thanks and have a great night.

563
00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:14,680
Speaker 1: Thank you.

564
00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:17,400
Speaker 2: All right, let me go next to Nick and Winchester. Nick,

565
00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:19,640
Speaker 2: we're getting a little tight on time. Got room for

566
00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:21,360
Speaker 2: you and maybe one or two more.

567
00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:25,840
Speaker 7: Go ahead and Nick, Hey, guys, I met you a

568
00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:27,520
Speaker 7: couple of times that same way. I work at some

569
00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:30,520
Speaker 7: Way Park, and I have to make a long story short.

570
00:33:30,760 --> 00:33:35,440
Speaker 7: I agree with you guys, totally, wholeheartedly, and bring it

571
00:33:35,480 --> 00:33:40,000
Speaker 7: to your constituents and let them have a say in it.

572
00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:44,520
Speaker 7: The area has evolved, it's changed, and just let it

573
00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:47,640
Speaker 7: be instead of letting people do what they want to do.

574
00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:50,440
Speaker 7: I agree with you, guys, and bring it to the

575
00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:54,400
Speaker 7: constituents and let them figure out if it's good for

576
00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:56,400
Speaker 7: the area, they can move.

577
00:33:57,080 --> 00:33:58,600
Speaker 2: Sounds great.

578
00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:00,640
Speaker 7: Great places they can go up. They can go up

579
00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:02,880
Speaker 7: to Root One. I mean, they don't have to stay

580
00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:04,600
Speaker 7: in Boston. It's only a half hour away.

581
00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:08,400
Speaker 2: Yeah, and you could get you know, there'll be patrons

582
00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:12,760
Speaker 2: who would find it easier from you know, northern Massachusetts,

583
00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:14,759
Speaker 2: from you know that they may have another, you know,

584
00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:17,319
Speaker 2: group of patrons who they would add to their to

585
00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:22,960
Speaker 2: their clientele. Nick, exactly, Thank you so much, Pank you guys.

586
00:34:23,160 --> 00:34:26,520
Speaker 2: Thanks Nick. Let me get Christian in Boston and I'm

587
00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:28,200
Speaker 2: going to try to get Chris and one more. But

588
00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:30,440
Speaker 2: if not, I got you. Chris, you are on the air.

589
00:34:30,480 --> 00:34:33,839
Speaker 11: Go right ahead, Yeah, Dan, thank you for having me on.

590
00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:39,000
Speaker 11: I'm involved in the Leatheristic Neighborhood Association of Downtown Boston

591
00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:41,359
Speaker 11: and I just wanted to add a little perspective as

592
00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:44,239
Speaker 11: a long time Downtown residence. First of all, thank you

593
00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:46,719
Speaker 11: to Counselor Flynn for being such a great advocate for

594
00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:49,960
Speaker 11: Downtown residents and in this particular case, for being an

595
00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:53,400
Speaker 11: advocate for residents of Chinatown who for too long have

596
00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:57,399
Speaker 11: had things like this foisted upon them. And really this

597
00:34:57,440 --> 00:35:01,799
Speaker 11: presents an opportunity to maybe correct some historical wrongs that

598
00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:06,680
Speaker 11: have existed in the Chinatown neighborhood. And you know, I've

599
00:35:06,719 --> 00:35:11,080
Speaker 11: heard some people talk about this is being the combat zone,

600
00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:13,799
Speaker 11: and to be honest with you, when I referenced the

601
00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:16,920
Speaker 11: combat zone to people in the neighborhood who haven't been

602
00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:19,160
Speaker 11: here that long, they don't even know what you're talking about.

603
00:35:19,200 --> 00:35:22,359
Speaker 11: That's how much this area has changed. So for those

604
00:35:22,480 --> 00:35:26,320
Speaker 11: listening who think, well, you know, it's just the combat

605
00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:29,120
Speaker 11: zone and that's the way it is, doesn't exist anymore.

606
00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:33,239
Speaker 11: The combat zone. And really the two remaining clubs such

607
00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:35,400
Speaker 11: as they are, have been out of the way on

608
00:35:35,480 --> 00:35:38,720
Speaker 11: their own on the side, and it was only because

609
00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:42,360
Speaker 11: the one, the Centerfold sold its building, as I understand

610
00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:45,200
Speaker 11: it from the Globe article, that they're in this predicament.

611
00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:47,520
Speaker 11: In other words, if they hadn't cashed in by selling

612
00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:50,800
Speaker 11: their real estate, they wouldn't need to move their location.

613
00:35:51,040 --> 00:35:55,160
Speaker 11: And so I think it's really super important, as Counselor

614
00:35:55,160 --> 00:35:59,360
Speaker 11: Flynn advocates, to have a neighborhood process right because the

615
00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:02,239
Speaker 11: neighborhood is changed. So we really need to look at

616
00:36:02,239 --> 00:36:06,960
Speaker 11: this new location in conjunction with the brand new desiah

617
00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:10,279
Speaker 11: Quincy Upper School that was just built in the neighborhood,

618
00:36:10,640 --> 00:36:13,080
Speaker 11: and you know, how do these things fit together? And

619
00:36:13,120 --> 00:36:16,279
Speaker 11: do they fit together? And really, as counsel Flynn so

620
00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:19,920
Speaker 11: correctly points out, the notion that if you opened a

621
00:36:20,719 --> 00:36:23,360
Speaker 11: restaurant or a bakery, you'd have to go through a

622
00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:26,800
Speaker 11: neighborhood process. But if you're if you're moving this business

623
00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:30,200
Speaker 11: which is which has you know, some possible negative fide

624
00:36:30,239 --> 00:36:34,759
Speaker 11: effects you don't doesn't make any sense in twenty twenty five.

625
00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:37,680
Speaker 2: All right, if you have to hear on that point, Chris,

626
00:36:37,880 --> 00:36:40,120
Speaker 2: I got to end because I'm up against my newscast.

627
00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:42,680
Speaker 2: I thank you for calling, and I will tell the

628
00:36:42,719 --> 00:36:45,120
Speaker 2: other folks who are on the line. I'd like to

629
00:36:45,160 --> 00:36:47,319
Speaker 2: carry this into the next hour. I'm going to let

630
00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:51,080
Speaker 2: Council of Flynn go because he's got an election day tomorrow.

631
00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:53,600
Speaker 2: Hope you get out and vote. Everybody gets out and votes,

632
00:36:53,760 --> 00:36:55,680
Speaker 2: but we're gonna get first of all, Chris, thank you

633
00:36:55,719 --> 00:36:57,440
Speaker 2: for your call. Very impressive call. Thank you.

634
00:36:57,800 --> 00:36:58,600
Speaker 9: Thank you.

635
00:36:58,680 --> 00:37:00,400
Speaker 4: Chris So it's an excellent call. And you've been an

636
00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:03,120
Speaker 4: excellent leader in the Leather district. But Chris, you've been

637
00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:06,359
Speaker 4: really a great friend to the Chinatown people as well

638
00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:08,799
Speaker 4: as Wei has. But just want to say thank you

639
00:37:08,840 --> 00:37:10,880
Speaker 4: to the Leather District residents.

640
00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:11,239
Speaker 11: Thank you.

641
00:37:11,480 --> 00:37:14,920
Speaker 2: Thanks Chris Mane. Counsel Flynn best to walk tomorrow. I

642
00:37:14,920 --> 00:37:17,480
Speaker 2: don't think you'll necessarily need it, but congrat you know,

643
00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:22,279
Speaker 2: let's hope that tomorrow night you're you're successful. You've been

644
00:37:22,280 --> 00:37:25,440
Speaker 2: a great representative of your constituents as you were tonight.

645
00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:27,160
Speaker 2: I thank you very much.

646
00:37:27,360 --> 00:37:27,400
Speaker 6: ED.

647
00:37:27,880 --> 00:37:29,800
Speaker 2: We're talking to you in the next couple of days

648
00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:32,319
Speaker 2: for sure. And for those on the line, thank you.

649
00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:35,399
Speaker 2: Stay more than welcome. Thanks ED. For those on the line,

650
00:37:35,480 --> 00:37:38,960
Speaker 2: stay there and we will continue this conversation. If you

651
00:37:38,960 --> 00:37:40,879
Speaker 2: want to jump on the line six one, seven, two, five,

652
00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:44,480
Speaker 2: four ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty.

653
00:37:44,520 --> 00:37:46,439
Speaker 2: We can do some more on this in the next hour,

654
00:37:46,520 --> 00:37:47,879
Speaker 2: right after the ten o'clock news