A Building in Decline
Since the city sold the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) the old Quincy School building at 90 Tyler Street for $1 in 1983, the building has not been
properly maintained. Foryears now the roof has been leaking and the drainage system has been in need of repairs.
In addition to flooding teachers rooms at the Asian American Civic Association (AACA), the drainage problem is also seriously damaging the adjacent Chinese Catholic Pastoral Center at 78 Tyler St.
The Rev. Denis Como, S.J., director of the Pastoral Center, said an engineer hired by the diocese to inspect the buildings had determined that 90 Tyler St.'s leaking roof and faulty drainage system is seriously damaging walls in the Pastoral Center. Engineers told Como there would be no point in trying to repair the water damage in the Pastoral Center until the drainage problem at 90 Tyler Street is addressed.
Como said the diocese has asked CCBA in a letter to address the problem but has yet to receive a reply. "I and the diocese have tried to communicate, but no answer," said Como.
Como noted that the old Quincy School Building, which was built in 1847, has historical importance. "It's the first graded school," said Como. "It was a really wonderful school for immigrants."
Como said that the many waves of immigrants passed through the school, including the Chinese, and suggested that "it should be an historical landmark."
"It's surprising that the city would allow a public building to be in such a state," he added.
In addition to the drainage problems, the Tyler Street buildings has other serious problems that have long disturbed those who work in the building. AACA's multiservice center, for example, has so little heat in the winter that the staff must use small electric space heaters to keep warm. The CCBA has also been unable to maintain the organization's rest rooms. In recent weeks one AACA teacher complained to the city about sanitary conditions in the building's rest rooms, which are not properly monitored or cleaned.
Others note that the concrete window lintels at the front of the building are crumbling. "The worst threat to safety is the front of this building," said Como.
CCBA president Robert Leung claims that CCBA hasn't the money to repair the building because AACA owes it money. He said for the "past 10 or 20 years the CCBA didn't have the special money to put on the side if the building needs a big construction."
But while CCBA has claimed it could not maintain the building because it was strapped for cash, the organization managed to spend some $672,398 from a restricted SCM housing account between 1991 and 1995 on its own expenses. The money is rental income from a building at 50 Herald Street which - like 90 Tyler St. - was given to CCBA on behalf of the Chinese community for a specific purpose - in this case for the creation of new community housing. None of the mispent money, however, was used for that purpose. CCBA has never accounted for how the SCM money was spent, nor have other community organizations asked them to do so.
Leung said he doesn't know how the SCM money was spent but argued that the "SCM building has no connection to the CCBA building."
While both the Herald and Tyler Street buildings were given to CCBA on behalf of the community to be used for housing and social services respectively, CCBA in both cases appears to have failed to live up to the conditions outlined in the transfers of the property.
- Robert O'Malley