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Howard Johnson's In Fenway To Be Sold

BOSTON (CBS) --- Tony Bennett was just one of the many entertainers who sang numbers in the once smoky lounge of the Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge, but now it's time to say goodnight.

The landmark in the shadow of Fenway Park and a mainstay in the neighborhood for decades, will soon be sold.

Owner Bob Sage, now 87, says the place has been around since 1959.

"We purchased the land, it was a used car lot," Sage told WBZ NewsRadio 1030. "Then we built a hotel."

The deal will probably be done by year's end. Sage wouldn't comment on what he sold the building for.

A high-rise hotel and residence complex will go in its place.

"The Boston Celtics used to stay there when they trained before the season started," Sage said. "We had a lot of celebrities and a lot of Red Sox people."

Sage said he's seen the neighborhood change but enjoyed being a part of it.

"You can build a bigger building in the area today than you could five or 10 years ago," Sage said. "A lot of it was due to the fact Fenway Park was there and it became a stimulus moving forward."

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