But Ed and Mary Verplaner, who have owned the Dickinson Bros. hardware store for the last 37 years, were more concerned with the increasing commercialization of the Square.
Rents in the Square have skyrocketed in recent years. According to a representative from Harvard Square Realty, although rent prices depend heavily on contract negotiations, most often, commercial spaces in Harvard Square now rent for $75 to $100 per square foot each month.
Square business owners complained high rents have pushed small businesses out of the Square.
And that, the Verplaners said, has caused the Square to lose some of its charm.
"People used to be attracted to the Square by its uniqueness," Mary Verplaner said. "Now the only people who can afford the rents are the big chains."
And an empty storefront doesn't help the situation. "It certainly doesn't add anything to the community," said a Harvard Square Defense Fund spokesperson.
But the fate of the building ultimately rests in Fleet's hands. According to Gibbs, the problem is "currently being analyzed."
"[I] expect some decisions [to be made] about the building in the first quarter [of 2001]," she said.
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