The last time we checked in on the Fenway's restaurant row, destroyed by a fire over a year ago now, the owner of the building, Monty Gold, seemed to have come to a decision about future development on the lot.  He told the Globe "he shared the community’s interest inbuilding structures similar to the originals but had to sort outinsurance issues."

Now, according to an article in Friday's Boston Courant, he says he wants "a five-story mixed-use project" that will include a hotel, to draw visitors to the city  in an area he sees as, frankly, too local.  (The article says he "sees the neighborhood as underserved for that type of use and saturated with small apartments."  It's called a "residential neighborhood," and there's a Howard Johnson's a block-and-a-half away.)

While Gold says he "would never want a regional or national chain in his building" you can be 100% sure that locals will be priced out.  The whole neighborhood is going that way. 

But even City Council President Mike Ross is rushing to assure us all that Gold's "plans will include the return of those exact types of small neighborhood businesses." 

I wouldn't bet on it. 

What I would bet on is a lengthy wait of another couple years, at a minimum, for anything at all to open there.  Gold submitted his proposal for the space to the BRA last Thursday, and there will be public hearings before he can break ground.