Boston residents are beginning to see the light at the end of the Kenmore Square reconstruction tunnel.’
After nearly five years and almost $50 million, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is nearing the end of its renovation of the Kenmore T station, much to the relief of local business owners and residents, they said.
The construction took more time and almost twice the amount of money than originally estimated because of ‘unforeseen site conditions’ and the inclusion of additional projects, such as Kenmore Square surface improvements and accommodations for the disabled, MBTA Assistant General Manager for Design and Construction Charles O’Reilly said.
‘It certainly is difficult to undertake millions of dollars of construction while servicing our customers,’ O’Reilly said. ‘But that is our mission, not construction, so the construction process must be sensitive to keeping trains and buses moving.’
The refurbished Kenmore station includes an outdoor bus canopy, three elevators and $5.6 million worth of surface improvements, such as the addition of more trees and widened brick sidewalks, O’Reilly said. Efforts to maintain and improve customer service during construction upped the overall cost as well.
‘In general, I believe MBTA customers see first hand and understand the challenges we deal with, so we do not see a lot of complaints,’ O’Reilly said. ‘We even get customers contacting us with words of encouragement and to thank us for bringing accessible transit to people of all abilities.’
However, Kenmore business owners said that, like commuters, they have experienced the effects of long-term construction.
Cornwall’s Restaurant manager Billy Morgan said the construction affected business for almost everyone in the area.
‘It was difficult for people just to get to our front door,’ Morgan said. ‘It’s a proven fact in business that 40 percent of business goes up or down if people have to go through any sort of obstacle to get to the front door, especially when people have to hurdle construction.’
But Morgan said his complaints about the MBTA’s renovation have ‘evened out’ now that it is nearing completion.
Parmjit Singh, who owns India Quality Restaurant in Kenmore, said a large percentage of his customers come in three to four times a week no matter what, but now that Kenmore is more attractive, more people might stop into his restaurant.
‘I know people in this area,’ Singh said. ‘Everybody likes to eat, so they eat. They won’t stop for this [the Kenmore construction].’
College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Lucia Lancaster said she does not agree that the end result of a more attractive Kenmore Square justified the means.
‘I know it wasn’t the MBTA’s fault because they couldn’t work around it, but it was just a big inconvenience to everyone,’ Lancaster said.
The MBTA usually completes construction efficiently and is moving forward with more station accessibility and renovation projects, including Arlington, Copley and State Street, O’Reilly said.
Even so, CAS junior Haley Cohen said she is concerned about other MBTA construction projects, such as the Park Street T stop, after witnessing what she called the ‘fiasco’ that was Kenmore construction.
‘It worries me about Park Street because people go through there to get to all the other lines,’ Cohen said. ‘I’m worried it will be as gross as Kenmore while under construction.’
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