Pittsfield/Lenox Road Could Be Getting Their Dunkin’ Back

The 18-room motel that has sat empty on Pittsfield Road since 2020 may finally be heading toward redevelopment, and if approved, you'll be able to fill up your tank and grab a Dunkin' coffee at the same time, kid.

A new gas station and convenience store with a drive-thru Dunkin' cafe has been proposed for the site of the former Lenox Inn, and the Lenox Zoning Board of Appeals is tentatively scheduled to take up the application at a public hearing on June 3 at 7 p.m. at Lenox Town Hall.

The property has a long history. Built in 1952 as the Criterion Motel, it was renamed the Lenox Motel in the 1970s before becoming the Lenox Inn. It has been sitting vacant for five years. -berkshireeagle.com

The plan calls for demolishing the motel and building a 4,500-square-foot development on the 1.7-acre property, which sits opposite the Haddad Toyota dealership and next to the newer Starbucks and Jiffy Lube. Because the site sits near the Lenox and Pittsfield town line, permits are also being filed at Pittsfield City Hall.

The timing is notable. The corridor had a Dunkin' inside the Shell gas station across from Guido's Fresh Marketplace until that location shuttered in January, just weeks after Starbucks opened its brand new spot right next door to Guido's. So the area lost one coffee drive-thru option right as another arrived.

Dunkin' vs. Starbucks!

The application was filed on behalf of Northern Management Group in Dedham, which operates 24 Dunkin' locations, mostly in the Metro West area. If approved, it would be the fifth Dunkin' in the Pittsfield area, joining locations on First Street, West Housatonic Street, East Street, and upper North Street.