Boston Logan migrants displace youth track club as Roxbury recreation facility turns into overflow site

Every Saturday morning, kids come to Roxbury’s Melnea A. Cass Recreation Complex to run around, throw a javelin or discus and bond with their friends.

Boston United has provided the weekly program since it became a track-and-field club in 2011, but coaches and parents are wondering where the next practice will be held as the state converts the recreational facility into emergency housing for migrants.

Roughly 30 children between the ages 4 and 18 participate each week with the club, which hosts its program indoors in the winter and outdoors in the spring. It also provides summer conditioning, cross country in the fall and year-round academic support and guidance.

“We were notified last week that our permit was canceled,” club treasurer Sekou Dilday told the Herald on Tuesday. “We didn’t understand why at first, and we subsequently found out about the plan to use the Cass to house migrants.”

Gov. Maura Healey, in a letter to state and city officials Monday, confirmed her administration would move forward with a plan to open a temporary overflow site at the state-owned recreation facility, particularly for the many homeless migrant families sleeping overnight at Logan International Airport, through the end of May.

“As an organization, we are very sympathetic to the needs of the migrants. We don’t want any family sleeping on the floor at Logan Airport,” Dilday said. “If the governor has to commandeer the Cass, we kind of understand the need, but our thing is where are you going to redirect us? Don’t leave us out in the cold with nowhere to go.”

Many community members ripped the governor’s plan during a Monday night forum, with parents speaking out about the track-and-field club being pushed out. Boston United provides its offerings for free and is run by volunteers only.

Mayor Michelle Wu, who also bashed the plan, will join Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and other officials Wednesday for a walkthrough of the “temporary safety-net site for families experiencing homelessness” ahead of its opening.

Hyde Park mother Maureen Houston is urging officials to look into accessing track time at the Reggie Lewis Center, about a mile away from the Cass. She highlighted how Boston United has “opened many doors” for her daughter, in a letter to City Councilor Erin Murphy obtained by the Herald.

But even Boston Public Schools has been hard-pressed to find time for its student-athletes to practice at the Reggie, with councilors expressing anger in December that use of the facility is being taken away by suburban districts.

“I can not imagine how difficult the decision is to displace one group for another,” Houston wrote. “Having an indoor track allows Boston youth the same competitive edge as their peers in suburbs.”

Dilday is echoing the call for help from the city and state to facilitate Boston United in getting another facility. He said he’s heard that Roxbury Community College is “amenable” to working something out at the Reggie, but nothing is confirmed at this point.

City spokesman Ricardo Patron told the Herald officials are “working closely with the state on finding alternative locations for displaced programming at the Cass.”

“We want to continue coaching,” Dilday said. “We want to continue to provide this outlet for the kids. … Let us continue to provide this service for the community.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Previous post Court filing reveals one victim in Coon Rapids triple homicide was suspected of drug trafficking
Next post Former NBA star Rajon Rondo, who played for the Chicago Bulls, is arrested on gun and marijuana charges in Indiana