Guests at the Charles Street Jail can no longer stay for free. After five years of renovations, the jail, completed in 1851, reopened in 2007 as the luxurious Liberty Street Hotel. Notable guests at the original jail included Frank Abagnale Jr., the con artist who was the inspiration for the Hollywood flick “Catch Me If You Can;” notable guests 150 years later include Mick Jagger and Meg Ryan. And, the cost to stay at 125 Charles Street in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood now starts at about $400.

Nearby, Ron Lawner, a retired advertising executive, bought the neighboring condominium in his Arts and Crafts building. The Arts and Crafts movement, a reaction to the increased mechanization of the Industrial Revolution, emphasized simplicity of design. Lawner preserved the original hardwood floors, brick walls, and ceiling beams, and painted the interior of his 2,200 square-foot unit white; he had all non-essential walls torn down. The 19th century design complements a new, 21st-century kitchen.

Just two miles away, investment executive Olef Nemirovsky’s manse takes shape in Boston’s Back Bay. Nemirovsky spent $13.55 million and 10 years acquiring four condominiums and a townhouse. He is spending another $9.75 million to consolidate the structures at Exeter Street and Commonwealth Avenue into 24,000 square feet of living space. Nemirovsky’s investment will turn back history, to the time before Boston’s great mansions were divided into office space, apartments, and condominiums.

Elsewhere in Back Bay, the Boston Globe cites unidentified real estate agents who say that Christopher Egan, US permanent representative to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, spent $15 million to buy the Gamble Mansion at 5 Commonwealth Avenue. The agents told the Globe that Egan plans to turn the 13,000-foot edifice, built in 1904, back into a single-family residence.

Then, of course, the chronic lack of parking in the downtown area cannot be ignored. In 2007, the average cost of a parking spot in downtown Boston was $68,455, a considerable drop from $92,810 in 2006. One spot in the Back Bay sold for an eye-popping $250,000 in 2006. Prior to granting a building permit, the City of Boston requires developers to prove that adequate parking exists for a building’s residents, either onsite or in a nearby garage. One example, the Tudor, a converted hotel at 34.5 Beacon Street, offers valet parking for its occupants.

Contact a Massachusetts Real Estate Attorney

To speak with an experienced Boston real estate lawyer for historic renovations, phone Parker Scheer LLP seven days a week, toll free at 866-414-0400. There is no fee charged to discuss historic renovations on Beacon Hill, or for any other Boston neighborhood. All information furnished will be kept strictly confidential.

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