Square holes: A world-famous destination is a bit frayed, but some see that as Harvard Square’s best chance

March 6, 2005

Phil Nini has seen the life pulse in and out of Harvard Square. From his 44-year perch at Nini’s Corner, the merchant watched the hubbub of small independent shops like his emerge in the ’60s; witnessed the extension of the MBTA Red Line northward from the square in the early 1980s; and cringed as big brand-name retailers plopped in and …