Restaurant could be coming to the Common

BOSTON -- Boston Common may soon be taking reservations.

There is talk of putting a world-class outdoor cafe in the public park. It would all surround the so-called vacant "Pink Palace."

“Pink Palace is an old men’s comfort station in the common that has been derelict and disrepair for 25 to 30 years,” Mike Ross, president of the Boston City Council.

Ross wants to use the cement structure as the centerpiece for an upscale outdoor café.

“I just think there’s a great opportunity to bring life, safety, and activity back to our park,” Ross said.

Ross said the idea was hatched about a year ago after a trip to New York when he and several other city councilors saw the parks there thriving.

On the edge of the Common near Emerson College, another restaurant is slated to open.

“I think within a week’s time, you’re going to see a world class restaurant open up, or outdoor café open up on the corner of Boylston and Tremont,” Ross said.

Ross hopes the new restaurant will create an “uncommon” experience in the city’s park.

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