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I used to live at Whitney's when I lived in Harvard Sq in my early 20s. The current ownership group had just taken over and were already talking about Chan trying to force them out one way or another. That was 10 years ago.
The fact they made it through Covid was a miracle.
The story is they hadn't paid rent since 2023, but it sounds like Chan had promised renovations that he never followed through with so the bar put their rent into escrow until Chan followed through on their agreement. But Chan was happy to let the bar fall apart then sue for lack of rent payment.
He did the same with every property he owns in the square and is essentially trying to force Cambridge to rewrite their zoning laws by holding all his businesses hostage. Which, I thought was illegal in the US.
Suppose it helps he's donated almost half a billion to Harvard.
www.wgbh.org
The fact they made it through Covid was a miracle.
The story is they hadn't paid rent since 2023, but it sounds like Chan had promised renovations that he never followed through with so the bar put their rent into escrow until Chan followed through on their agreement. But Chan was happy to let the bar fall apart then sue for lack of rent payment.
He did the same with every property he owns in the square and is essentially trying to force Cambridge to rewrite their zoning laws by holding all his businesses hostage. Which, I thought was illegal in the US.
Suppose it helps he's donated almost half a billion to Harvard.
Closure of a beloved bar in Harvard Square prompts questions about landlord
Whitneys bar in Harvard Square was forced to close in December over a rent dispute, prompting questions about Gerald Chan, the generous philanthropist and large landowner who shut him down.
www.wgbh.org
