Another piece of Boston’s LGBT nightlife has gone dark. Late in July, applications were filed with the city to demolish the commercial buildings located in the Fenway at 1252-1268 & 1270 Boylston Street. The address is also the home of Boston’s gay bar Machine / Ramrod in Fenway. The small buildings on the block currently will be demolished to make way for a 15-story, 225,000 square foot mixed-use project that will include 451 rental units above a ground-floor retail podium. The project is crafted for culinary, lifestyle and experimental tenants, with units ranging in size from studios to three bedrooms. 15% of units, 68 in total, with plans to be affordable to the community.
The location has a long and storied relationship with the LGBT community, and that is also not going unnoticed. Bosguy reports that the building will also include the Boylston Black Box, a 10,000-square-foot LGBTQ-centric venue for the performing arts. The Boylston Black Box will be anchored by a 156-seat theater and will also include dedicated flex and community areas to serve as safe spaces. The Boylston Black Box will be delivered and operated on a not-for-profit basis. According to Scape North America CEO Andrew Flynn (via GOMAG), the Black Box Theater will serve as a versatile, multi-purpose space for performances, art clinics, LGBTQ+ youth events, dance nights, and other community gatherings. When asked about the legacy Machine leaves, a source that worked at Machine went on to say simply “the building might be closing, but the friends and the family that we’ve made for as long as it’s been around and run with the integrity it’s running with[that’s the memory and the passion and the thanks that we’re giving.” To Machine, he says “thanks for being around as long as you’ve been around.”
DJ Ranny, Boston based international DJ/Remixer speaks fondly of his time at Machine/Ramrod saying “So many good moments at Machine! It’s truly going a great loss for the Boston community. It was also one of the first places I’ve ever DJ’d thanks to legendary Boston DJ Richie Ladue. Oh, if those walls could talk…
Grab Ranny’s Rated R package here:
I have always enjoyed my time at the “Rod”