The Hotel Commonwealth is finally getting a new faade, nearly a year after officials from the hotel and Boston University announced that the front face of the Kenmore Square lodge would be replaced.
Hotel Commonwealth Managing Director Timothy Kirwan said construction was delayed until the winter because the hotel runs at approximately 40 percent occupancy during the season. The construction was planned for a time when it would least interfere with business. The rooms that are not available because of the construction would not be used at this time of the year anyway, he said, so the hotel is not losing money because of the construction.
The faade project is part of a $5 million BU investment in area renovations, which include moving the Kenmore T station’s entrances and adding more shops on the bottom floor of the hotel. BU fronted $1.9 million for the faade project alone and is a limited partner in the hotel.
Boston Redevelopment Authority officials said the projects should be completed by June.
The new faade is also not the only change the hotel itself is undergoing either. Kirwan said construction workers are adding new bay windows and a copper roof. Planners hope the hotel’s new look will better match the surrounding area.
Eleven new stores are being installed along the hotel’s base, Kirwan said, including a few shops with patios that will extend onto the sidewalk where the T stop is now located.
Most of the hotel-area construction activity is related to the MBTA station’s changes, which include a new glass archway and steel canopy, and the addition of terraces and patios to the hotel. In fact, Kirwan said only a limited amount of the construction is being caused by the changes to the hotel faade.
The managers overseeing the Hotel Commonwealth construction opted to “return to the original design” of surfacing the hotel with cast stone rather than fiberglass shortly after opening due to a “materials failure,” Kirwan said.
Kirwan said construction crews adhere to a strict work schedule Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. in order to complete the project on time without disturbing guests or interrupting the weekend events at the hotel.
“We are pleased it is being redone properly,” said BU spokesman Colin Riley. “Unfortunately there is some expense involved, but it is the appropriate thing to do.”
Although BU is footing the bill for the large project, BU Senior Vice President Richard Towle said the university plans to recover the cost with hotel revenue.
In addition to the construction on Hotel Commonwealth, BRA spokeswoman Jessica Shumaker said hotel officials submitted a plan in January for remodeling Kenmore Square’s T station, planting 80 trees in the area, improving sidewalks and adding new street lights.
“There are a lot of public improvements involved with the project that will help to revitalize the square … which we are thrilled about,” she said.
Towle said the point of revamping the area is to “increase safety for students and improve the campus environment.” Project managers feel that moving the T station entrance away from the hotel’s doors will make pedestrians feel safer, he said.
BU’s interest in Kenmore Square began more than 30 years ago, when the area began to decline economically, Towle said. In order to prevent the area from completely deteriorating, BU bought the property surrounding the square in hopes of improving the area’s conditions, he said.
“We envisioned Kenmore Square to look like Harvard Square,” Towle said.
The 150-room hotel opened for business in May 2003, according to the hotel’s website.
Towle said because BU originally owned the buildings that stood where the hotel is now located, the school remains a limited partner in the enterprise. He oversaw the project because of the university’s relationship to the project, he said.