Shop-owners hope for Filene's Basement to reopen

6/30/09

Shop-owners in Downtown Crossing are hopeful that Filene's Basement will return to its flagship store on the corner of Washington and Summer Street now that discounter Syms Corp has acquired the bankrupt company in a $62.4m deal.

After more than a 100 years in business, Filene's Basement in Downtown Crossing closed in 2007, because of a redevelopment project that has been unable to secure the $700m needed in finances. "When the Basement closed that was the beginning of the end of Downtown Crossing," said Gabriel Rouic, who has been a hot dog vendor in the area for 19 years. Once Filene's basement closed traffic, as well as sales plummeted, he said.

Some shop-owners reported that the closing of Filene's Basement actually improved their business. Jerry Blocher, owner of the Kenmore Navy Store on Washington Street said, "A lot of people thought it [Filene's closing] would hurt Downtown Crossing, but I looked at it differently. There are less places to shop, so more people come here." However, Blocher believes that if Filene's reopens it won't take away from his business, but continue to add to it. "If they do everything the way they planned, with the redevelopment, then it will bring more people to Downtown Crossing," he said.

The Boston Globe reported that Syms has every intention of reopening the flagship store as soon as possible, but they are uncertain whether Vornado Realty Trust and Gale International, the two firms that own the Downtown property where the Basement operated, will be able to deliver the site within a normal period of time. With the development of the site still on hold, the store could take at least two years to reopen. The Globe reported that the developers are open to bringing the Basement back to the location, but that hinges on whether or not Syms is willing to pay a higher rent of up to $30 per square foot.

Noah, who chose not to give his last name, has worked for Lambert's market-open outside of the former Filene's Basement on the weekends. He said he's heard lots of rumors about the future of that site. "Some say within a year it will be reopened, others says two years, and then there are those that say it just isn't going to happen," he said. "It would be very good for us if it did open back up."

Shoppers in the area are hoping for the return of the Basement also. Nancy Helms who has lived and worked in the area for the past year said, when she moved to Boston she came to the Downtown Crossing area looking for Filene's Basement, but it had already been closed. "I heard it was a great place to get designer clothing for a good price and I was really disappointed to find out it was no longer open, but there is the one on Newbury," she said. "It's still exciting to hear that the original might be coming back though.

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