Heavy demolition equipment consumed the vacant Burger King building Monday leaving the remains of the fast food giant in a pile at 645 Commonwealth Ave. on the site of what will become a Boston University owned parking lot.
The BU administration plans to use the new lot as an extension of the existing parking lot until further plans are finalized, according to spokesman Colin Riley.
While the university owns the property, Riley said, the Burger King corporation demolished the building.
“The university will use it in the interim as an extension of the Granby Street parking lot,” he said. “It is a commercial lot, but it is not a BU lot. It will used as a parking lot while the space is being assessed for future use.”
Riley said although the university has no definite plans for the space now, its “strategic location” makes it more than likely that it will become an academic building.
“It’s being considered for academic use because it’s in the core academic area,” he said. “It’s in a strategic location.”
Many students say they anticipated the construction of different possible student facilities, including food services and residence halls.
“There could be a 24-hour diner with regular diner food,” School of Management senior Pat Naughton said, “because there’s nothing open late at all. Nothing too special, just a regular old diner.”
Student Union president Jon Marker said the plans for the new building may include the diner that many students expressed interest in.
“Knocking [the building] down has been a plan the entire time,” the College of Arts and Sciences junior said, “which is why we took an interest in it first semester. We do have administrators who are very interested in turning the first floor of whatever building it turns into to a diner.”
Marker said there is support for the diner outside of the student body.
“It’s probably going to be a multi-story building,” he said. “Whatever the original plans are or the new plans are – they won’t necessarily be affected by the diner. There are administrators who thought it was a good idea.”
Many students said a diner would be beneficial to students because of its location and convenience to major residences and classroom buildings.
“Some kind of other diner facility that uses dining points would be nice,” College of Fine Arts sophomore Graciela Briceno said. “An all-night diner would be awesome. But something that’s different than what you get at the GSU.”
Many students said an alternative choice of food would increase the appeal of the new building.
“Maybe something healthy would be nice,” Briceno said. “We offer a lot of choices, but it’s a little difficult for people who are trying to eat healthy to be able to eat healthier if they want to be able to go outside of the dining hall. At Late Night, you can never really get anything healthy … but if you’re on some kind of plan where you’re trying to eat healthier, it’s hard because in the GSU all they have is Burger King and those types of restaurants.”
SMG senior Kate Wuestenfeld said any facility that helps students would be useful.
“Healthy food would be nice, but it won’t be very popular,” she said. “Even if something stayed open until 4 a.m., that would be great. Probably somewhere where you could get coffee and food, like a normal student place – something that helps and serves students – a hang out place where you can study.”
Some students said they oppose the idea of another chain store occupying the now vacant lot.
“Definitely not another Starbucks, or anything else like that,” College of General Studies freshman Alyssa Bramer said. “The big chain thing that’s taking over the college campus.”
CGS freshman Laura Robertson said the new area yields opportunity for the university to bring something different to campus.
“I would like something unique instead of something corporate,” she said, “like another CVS or Starbucks.”
Some students said food services may not be the best option the university can take for the new building.
“Boston needs a decent outdoor skate park,” College of Communication sophomore Solco Schuit said. “This is an opportunity. If it’s concrete, [the cold weather] won’t be a problem. If you build it, they will come.”