Student dorms coming to Beantown Pub building in Boston
BOSTON - Suffolk University is buying a downtown building that's home to a popular Boston bar and plans to add housing for nearly 300 students.
The school said Wednesday it closed a deal to buy 101 Tremont St along the Freedom Trail. On the ground floor of the 11-story building is the Beantown Pub, which has been in business since 1999.
The pub will continue to operate in its current location, Suffolk says.
Turning office space into housing
The Boston Globe reported that offices at 101 Tremont have gone mostly unused since the COVID pandemic spurred a shift to remote work. The city has looked at turning office buildings into apartments as a way to solve Boston's housing crisis.
"Housing our students in residence halls is the right thing to do for the city and the students," Suffolk President Marisa Kelly said in a statement. "Universities located in Boston have an obligation to help with the pressure on housing supply caused by students in private units. Suffolk takes that obligation seriously."
Dorm planned to open in 2026
The residence hall planned for the building would add 260 to 290 beds for Suffolk undergraduates. Kelly said there has been "significant growth in demand for housing" from students.
"This is an opportunity for us to meet that strong student demand while addressing a long-term strategic priority," Kelly said. "Housing some of our students in hotel rooms has been an effective temporary solution to strong housing demand, but adding to University housing capacity through an additional residence hall is a more sustainable long-term solution."
Suffolk says renovations would begin early next year, with the building opening to students in the fall of 2026.