Boston eyes Fort Point office building in Seaport as potential migrant shelter
BOSTON - As Roxbury's Melnea Cass Recreational Center nears capacity, could Boston's Seaport neighborhood be the next home for migrants in Massachusetts?
"Here, I just want to hear more," Boston City Councilor At-Large Erin Murphy told WBZ-TV outside of 24 Farnsworth Street. The city is eyeing the Fort Point office building as a potential migrant overflow site.
"I'm hearing there might be one bathroom here and no showers or one shower, so definitely we'll need to make this a space that is safe," Councilor Murphy said.
The state said the plans aren't finalized yet, but the city gave Fort Point residents a heads up that migrants could be on the way.
A city of Boston spokesperson sent WBZ-TV the following statement:
"The City will work with the State and other partners to ensure our residents have an opportunity to learn more and provide feedback regarding any proposed shelter sites, while prioritizing minimal disruption to area residents."
"I like the idea of housing migrants," resident Chris Villon explained. "They were sleeping at Logan, I understand, which is unacceptable."
WBZ obtained an email from the Fort Point Neighborhood Association to the city requesting a meeting on the proposed overflow shelter location with several questions, including how many migrants would be housed along Farnsworth Street, the duration and the resources that would be provided to migrant families.
The neighborhood association isn't the only group with questions.
"I don't know what their intentions are. I'm not saying everyone is bad," resident Kathleen Hemingway said. "There's no vetting process. There's nothing! You just come over the border and that's it!"
Councilor Murphy told WBZ-TV that Mayor Wu's office is narrowing in on several potential overflow sites from Boston's Seaport to Dorchester.
"The list is about 20-30 long. Maybe the hotel on Morrissey Boulevard, the Comfort Inn," she said. "I don't know if that's true, but a lot of these are just rumors."
With tax dollars and shelter space stretched extremely thin, one Fort Point resident is more empathetic to those seeking asylum here.
"If we can get people off the streets and into these unused buildings, then I'm all for that. I don't mind if some of my tax dollars go to that," Villon said.
