Thursday, September 17, 2015

Williams Tavern and My Diner in South Boston Face Uncertain Future Due to Development

It looks like the future of both a decades-old bar and a popular diner in South Boston could be in jeopardy.

According to a Facebook update from The Saint Vincent's Lower End Neighborhood Association (SVLENA), the building at A Street and West 2nd Street that houses Williams Tavern and My Diner has been purchased by a developer, who is proposing a new building at that site. A Twitter post from @planetsouthie shows a blueprint of the plans, with the post saying "Bye bye Williams Tavern. 7 story building is being proposed right now." It is not known at this point in time what this means for the two places, but a Facebook thread on the Southie Community Bulletin Board group page has some people saying that both will be closing. As soon as we confirm exactly what will become of Williams Tavern and My Diner, we will post an update here.

[October 27 update: The Fort Point Boston blog shows that a neighborhood meeting is taking place this evening, with one of the items on the agenda being a look at development plans for the space where Williams Tavern and My Diner currently reside.]

[January 6, 2016 update: According to a Boston Herald article, a proposal for a new six-story condo development at the Williams Tavern/My Diner site has been submitted to the Boston Redevelopment Authority, with a Dropbox file included in a Caught in Southie post showing that the plan would be to demolish the structure where the bar and diner currently reside and replace it with the new residential building. (The proposal notes that there would be one commercial/retail space available, with the hopes being to fill it with a coffee shop/snack bar.)]

[February 12, 2016 update: A Twitter post from the Boston Redevelopment Authority indicates that it has approved of plans for the condo development at the Williams Tavern/My Diner site.]

[April 10, 2016 update: Universal Hub states that the Zoning Board of Appeals has approved of plans to build a condo development in the space where Williams Tavern and My Diner currently reside, and while this appears to be the end of the line for the bar, the developer will apparently offer space on the first floor to the diner, though the eatery may be looking to move to another space nearby.]

Williams Tavern first started out in the 1940s, while My Diner has been in business for approximately a decade.

The address for Williams Tavern is 92 A Street, while the address for My Diner is 98 A Street.

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]