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Part V: 1981-2003 & Conclusion:
Figure 7: Block Demolished by BU in 1999
(Source: Hasson)
Kenmore Square
has changed considerably since 1981, which was mostly caused by the expansion
of Boston University. As more of the brownstones along Bay State
Road and Commonwealth Avenue were converted to dormitories, a much larger
number of BU students were living in Kenmore Square. As a result,
the Peerless Auto Sales and Services building now houses the Barnes and
Noble Bookstore. Multiple cafés and twenty-four hour convenience
stores were opened, and the one on the corner of Deerfield and Beacon
Streets is called “Campus Convenience” which signifies the current omnipotence
of BU in Kenmore Square. Although some doctor’s offices are still
present along Bay State Road, the majority seem to have moved. The
Kenmore Medical Building is currently occupied by the Campus Camera store,
and the bank immediately to the west is now the fast food restaurant Burrito
Max. 490 Commonwealth Avenue, which was originally the Hotel Kenmore
and later part of Grahm Junior College, is now known as Kenmore Abbey.
Although the building itself is owned by Boston University, its main function
is community service and it provides “modern apartments for senior citizens
and special needs housing.” 9 Perhaps the most notable
change began to occur in 1999 as the Eastern half of the block along Commonwealth
Avenue between Kenmore Street and Brookline Avenue was demolished and the
European-style Hotel Commonwealth was built. This block, which once
contained stores, restaurants, and the popular pub and night-club known
as the Rathskeller, was owned in part by the University, and its demolition
was the direct result of Boston University’s own efforts to clean up Kenmore
Square and remove venues like the Rathskeller that could possibly corrupt
its college students. 10
Although
the physical layout of Kenmore Square has remained fairly constant, the
inhabitants of the diverse array of structures in the site have changed
since the beginning of its construction in the late nineteenth century.
First influenced most extensively by the railroads and roadways which passed
through the square, the transportation motif of the square faded as the
local colleges and universities grew. Presently, the historic Kenmore
Square is being engulfed by Boston University. Those buildings that
are not actually owned by the university have been subject to the effects
of the large population of students that has inundated Kenmore Square and
its surroundings. These changes clearly illustrate that the development
of this site, like the growth of many other mixed-use urban environments,
is closely linked to the people who live there and who regularly frequent
the region. Thus, they provide a great deal of insight into the future
of Kenmore Square. If nearby universities continue to expand, the
amount of residential land use on the site will continue to steadily decrease
in order to make room for the increasing number of students and new commercial
land use that caters to them.
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