The Gordon Building, a two-story row of storefronts and offices at 149–175 Harvard Ave. in Allston, was sold on June 23, 2026, and the ripple effects have been immediate. Longtime independent shops say the new owner has signaled steep rent hikes and abrupt policy changes, and several tenants report they will have to close or relocate by the end of August.
Sale leaves tenants racing to adjust
Toni Fanning, who runs Ritual Arts, said she was told her rent would jump to roughly four times what she pays now or she would have to leave. “This is my home. This is my life,” she told reporters.
As reported by The Boston Globe, about two dozen businesses inside the Gordon Building are now staring down sharply higher leases or the prospect of vacating after the property changed hands for about $12.25 million.
Neighborhood anchor with a long history
The Gordon Building has been a fixture on Harvard Avenue for roughly a century. Built in the 1920s, it originally housed the Allston branch of the Boston Public Library, according to historic research. Historic Boston describes the block as a mid-1920s commercial structure designed for multiple storefronts and small offices, the kind of modest spaces that helped define the corridor’s character.
New owner is a familiar local buyer
The buyer is an entity tied to Alpha Management, a landlord that has been on a recent purchasing streak across Allston and Brighton, according to Bisnow. The company is controlled by Anwar Faisal, whose management practices have drawn criticism over the years; a 2013 profile in Boston Magazine chronicled decades of tenant complaints and enforcement actions tied to properties linked to Faisal.
Tenants say new rules piled on quickly
Tenants say the changes started almost immediately after the sale. They were told that employees who use the building’s parking lot must now pay $300 per car per month, and a posted sign warned that towing would begin on July 1. One studio owner calculated that eight employee stickers would cost $2,400 a month, according to The Boston Globe.
Some retailers are negotiating 30-day extensions while they scramble to find new locations. At least one longtime pet store has said it will stay open through August as it searches for a new home.
Community groups warn about loss of 'soul stores'
Local business advocates worry that losing small, relatively affordable storefronts will change both the character and the economic mix of Harvard Avenue. ProPublica's nonprofit directory lists Allston Village Main Streets as a neighborhood business-support group that plays a central role in representing merchants along the corridor.
Next steps and the race to find new space
Representatives for Alpha have said the company plans renovations and intends to bring in uses that it believes will “enhance the overall viability of the retail corridor.” Bisnow noted the firm’s recent string of local acquisitions and quoted a spokesperson framing the purchases as part of a broader strategy.
For many shopowners inside the Gordon Building, though, the focus is less on long-term strategy and more on basic survival: secure a new lease, negotiate for a little more time, or close a business that may have taken decades to build.
