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Historic Kenmore Square hotel closes - and it won't be re-opening
By adamg on Mon, 04/06/2020 - 11:48am
Hotel Buckminster in 1900, when there wasn't much else around. Source.
The Hotel Buckminster in Kenmore Square announced on March 23 that it was closing, but unlike the nearby Hotel Commonwealth, says its closing is permanent.
We do not have plans of reopening in the future at this point in time.
The hotel opened in 1897 and was where the idea behind Black Sox scandal of 1919 was hatched and where Andy Kaufman lived while attending the now defunct Grahm Junior College.
The hotel was also home to a couple of radio stations and the predecessor of today's WHDH - WNAC, which started broadcasting in 1948 from the hotel basement.
Photo from the BPL collection used under this Creative Commons license.
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Comments
This would be useful housing for Longwood medical workers
Can the state requisition it temporarily for that purpose?
If they are closing anyway...
If they are closing anyway... I think it would make sense , come up with a pricing scheme that essentially pays for the linens and other items and house workers for as long as needed. This is an ideal site since they won't be trying to reoccupy when we start lifting restrictions. Many hospital staff may want to choose to self isolate until well past when some restrictions are lifted.
I ducked into the lobby of
I ducked into the lobby of this hotel to escape tear gas after the 2004 ALCS. RIP
me too
yep and the hotel staff was actively pushing us out the door..
Baseball scandals
It was also where the chicken behind the Red Sox scandal of 2011 was fried!
the Bangin' Babe
Also where George Herman Ruth used to take his many girlfriends.
BU
Likely to become BU dorms now. I remember when it was a rehearsal space for bands in the 80s.
Nope
BU sold all of their Kenmore square holdings more than a year ago. Maybe 10-20 years ago they would have snatched this up but not anymore.
I haven't been inside the Buckminster but I've been told it's a dump and would probably cost a tremendous amount to improve and/or convert to a dorm or something else. Someone will spend the money eventually but it doesn't seem like that someone will be BU.
It was a dorm once before
for Grahm Junior College. That is how I remember it from the late 1970s when I lived nearby. It was later reconverted to a hotel.
I'm a little surprised. There
I'm a little surprised. There seems to be insatiable demand for hotels around here during normal times, even low-end hotels.
It would be interesting over
It would be interesting over these next few months to track all these businesses that are closing - leased space becoming vacant or owned building becoming vacant - and see who sells, who ends up buying, which banks and developers end up getting the deals. It will shape the real estate market for years, especially inside 128. I hope the AG's office is watching.
2008
Back in 2008 many of the same banking executives which caused the recession founded new companies and went around buying up all the dirt cheap real estate which was the product of their own actions. They again profited handsomely over the next decade.
The same will happen this time around. Those with money are eagerly awaiting the fire sales. Buy low, rent high.
In 2018 there were redevelopment plans for the Buckminster
I wonder whatever happened to this?
https://www.universalhub.com/2018/developers-file-plans-two-new-kenmore-...
Maybe part of why they're closing?
If the plan was to shut down and redevelop the place in a year or two anyway, might be better to just cut your losses and shut down now, especially if you can't currently rent any rooms.
They've updated their plans, but ...
The Buckminster wasn't part of the plans.
Interesting...
I thought this was one of those hybrid buildings like 140 Clarendon Street--part affordable housing and part budget tourist hotel. I hope the current building is saved even if a behemoth high rise is added onto the present site.