Kenmore Square Hotels

Mark Kenmore, LLC and Buckminster Annex jointly filed their Letter of Intent to the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) on Monday, March 12. Together, they are proposing to redevelop their respective properties located directly across Beacon Street from one another, at 560-574 Commonwealth Ave., and 645, 651 and 655-665 Beacon St. in the Kenmore Square neighborhood.

The project site will have two components. The existing building at 560-574 Commonwealth Avenue will be replaced by a new 24-story (260-feet) hotel building Ave. about 382 rooms and ground floor retail space. The Buckminster Hotel will remain while the three existing buildings at 655-665 Beacon St. will be replaced by a new 19-story (210-feet) hotel at the parcel and the adjacent parcel at 651 Beacon St. featuring about 295 hotel rooms, ground floor retail space and a 145-below-grade parking spaces.

Together, the two components of the project will include about 677 new hotel rooms.

The demolition of the 560-574 Commonwealth Ave., which was constructed in 1954 is not listed or recommended for listing on any registers of historic places, but Boston Landmark Commission staff will determine whether it otherwise qualifies as a “significant building” and will be subject to the demolition-delay procedure.

Because the project is for hotel uses, it is not subject to the Mayor’s Executive Order regarding inclusionary affordable housing, nor the BPDA’s Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP).

A quantitative wind analysis will be conducted, including a wind tunnel test, as required by the BPDA for buildings over 150 feet. The results will be included in the Draft Impact Report.

Although the project will replace low-rise buildings, some new shadow will be created in the surrounding area but, preliminary studies show net new shadows to public open spaces will be limited. During the time periods studied, no new shadow will be cast on Fenway Park or the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.

Once permitting is finished, construction will take about 26 months to complete. The comment period for Project Notification Form is open until April 11.

 

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