Suffolk University to get new dorm
Suffolk University is getting a new student dormitory in the Downtown Crossing section of Boston under a deal brokered by Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who had previously nixed the school's controversial plan to house students on Beacon Hill.
Suffolk will buy a building on West Street that was being renovated into condominiums, Boston Redevelopment Authority officials said today. The West St. property will house about 270 students, compared to the 500-bed dorm proposed for Beacon Hill site. Menino withdrew his support for Suffolk's Beacon Hill site in December after residents strongly objected, saying it would bring too many students -- and their sometimes rowdy behavior -- to the small neighborhood.
BRA spokeswoman Jessica Shumaker said the Downtown Crossing location is superior, and Suffolk's presence will bolster's the city's plan to improve that area. " With the influx of students, hopefully new retailers will want to locate there, and existing ones will want to extend their hours, all adding to a livelier district," she said.
(Thomas C. Palmer Jr.)
