Chinese volleyball game in the crosshairs of development

BOSTON (AP) — A modest asphalt court that served as a nursery for a unique style of volleyball played by Chinese immigrants across the country now stands in the way of development, touching off a battle over preservation.

The prime slice of Chinatown real estate is steps from busy South Station and is home to a 1930s-era steam plant with towering smokestacks and a modern state government office.

The game traces its roots to a style of volleyball developed in Taishan, a southern Chinese city where many of the earliest Chinese immigrants hailed from, and became a critical social outlet for immigrants largely isolated from broader American society.

Republican Gov. Charlie Baker's administration began seeking proposals last month to purchase and develop the 5-acre site that's home to Wong Park as a centerpiece of his pledge to generate revenue and spur development by unloading underused government land.

Chinatown activists and nine-man enthusiasts have voiced their concerns at community meetings this past year, prompting the administration to require developers to propose ways to carve out a public park somewhere on the site at least as big as the current court.