Is B'way HoJo No Mo'?

Broadway's Howard Johnson's diner, a last bastion of mid-century style dining, may soon go the way of the much-lamented Automat.
According to Crain's New York Business, the Rubinstein family, which owns the property, will tear down the diner that has stood at the 46th Street corner for five decades. In its place, they will erect a building for a single corporate mega-operation.
Admittedly, if Howard Johnson's is put out of business at West 46th Street, franchise rights to HoJo (as it's known in the trade) will open up. Still, given the cost of renting in the Times Square area-estimated at $300-plus per square foot-it's highly debatable whether midtown will see another HoJo's any time soon, if ever again.