Tonight’s East Berkeley Neighborhood Association (EBNA) monthly meeting gathered a large crowd. Residents had joined to learn more about the proposed cannabis shop at 1220 Washington Street. Most who were able to join (only 100 were able to join due to Zoom license restrictions) cited concerns other neighborhoods have voiced when cannabis shops have been proposed (traffic, proximity to children, this business won’t add to or enhance the n’hood, etc…) However most were silent on what losing another LGBTQ space means for our community so I asked the lawyer representing the cannabis owners when Cathedral Station will be closing and how we got to this point?
Arthur Leon, who is Cathedral Station’s landlord, was also on the Zoom Meeting and he shared that two years ago the owners declined to sign a new lease. They cited a desire to retire and relocate to Florida. Since that time the establishment has been operating without a lease, and it is that decision that opened the door for new businesses to come and rent the space. Leon did not answer when the owners plan to retire (it’s not clear that he knows) but one thing is for certain – despite comments from the staff, Cathedral Station will be closing.
The images below were shared by Adenike “Nike” John and Frederick “Fred” McCarthy at the EBNA Zoom Meeting – the two individuals behind “The Boston Garden Dispensary” (the dispensary name if approved). The first image confirms the location and the second image is a mock-up of the floorplan for the dispensary.
If you’d like to learn more about the owners and their proposal or hear what concerns were raised by attendees, the EBNA did record the meeting and you can contact them to get the recording on their website at, ebnaboston.org.
BosGuy 