News broke via the Boston Business Journal last week that Suffolk University has officially placed the Fenton building on the market. This move is not surprising based on earlier comments that university President James McCarthy told the Suffolk Journal about wanting to close the sale of both Fenton and Ridgeway before the opening of Suffolk’s new building in fall 2015.

The more interesting comment to come from the Business Journal’s story was a quote from Beacon Hill Civic Association Board Chair Stephen Young that Suffolk had told him in previous conversations that the school also plans to sell its Donahue building. University spokesman Greg Gatlin told the Suffolk Journal among other media outlets that Fenton is the only building currently on the market.

Donahue is the heart of the College of Arts and Sciences. It is one of the university’s oldest buildings and it is where the majority of its undergraduates have classes. Donahue has also been the home of the Suffolk Journal for quite some time.

Offices, departments and classrooms can move from one building to another but we would argue that Donahue represents more than just bricks and cement to many CAS students.

Obviously Suffolk’s geographical footprint in downtown Boston is changing. Contrary to what some Beacon Hill residents might believe, moving the school’s buildings will not lessen the student population around their homes. Even if Suffolk eventually chooses to sell Donahue and Ridgeway, there will be less traffic around Temple Street but it will not stop it altogether.

Regardless of where Suffolk students have class, they are still going to choose to live in Beacon Hill apartments. Suffolk students will still frequent Derne Street Deli, Café Podima and of course, The Red Hat. There will still be Suffolk buildings around Beacon Hill thus there will still be Suffolk students around Beacon Hill.

The opening of 20 Somerset and the eventual sale of Fenton will not change the identity Suffolk has as the city’s only college on Beacon Hill. It would be a shame to see the geographical highlight of that identity in the form of Donahue turned into a local retirement home or day care.