As Harvard University continues its plan to develop an expanded presence across the Charles River, the university formally submitted its institutional master plan of Allston to the Boston Redevelopment Authority on Thursday.
The 10-year plan by Harvard includes construction of three new academic buildings, two new administrative buildings, a new basketball venue, a hotel and conference center and renovation of Harvard Stadium and a graduate and academic building.
“Harvard is committed to the economic, intellectual, social and cultural vitality of its neighborhoods and city,” Katie Lapp, executive vice president at Harvard, wrote in an Oct. 17 letter to BRA Director Peter Meade. “In that spirit, together with our Allston neighbors, elected representatives, City and State agencies and civic leaders, Harvard has created a plan for the future that provides shared opportunity.”
Harvard currently has about 151 acres of land zoned for Harvard, with the more than 110 of these acres allocated to the Harvard Business School and Harvard Athletics.
The 10-year plan would add 1 million square feet of additional building space and see renovations to 500,000 square feet of existing Harvard space.
To ensure community input on the Harvard presence in Allston, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino created the Harvard-Allston Task Force in 2006, which is composed of 16 civic leaders in Allston.
As the approval process for the university’s Institutional Master Plan unfolds, Harvard will develop a coherent approach to community benefits associated with each project as it moves forward.
The public can submit comments to the plan until Nov. 19.
The BRA and Boston Zoning Commission must approve of the Institutional Master Plan for developments to proceed.
Harvard argues that this new development will create community benefits for the Allston community. These include various programs for students of all ages to study science, art and other subjects with Harvard graduate students and teachers in Harvard facilities.
Harvard also offers scholarships to students from Allston and Brighton.
The North Allston Neighborhood Strategic plan also demands a planning effort for land use, housing, economic development and transportation in North Allston.
“The goal of the plan was to articulate a consensus-based, attainable vision for the North Allston neighborhood, including Harvard-owned properties, ” according to the Boston Redevelopment Authority website.
The Harvard-Allston task force meets monthly with Harvard officials to speak about community impacts on the proposed infrastructural additions.
In an August meeting, Kevin Casey from Harvard explained that not all of Harvard’s own land is being included in development for this 10-year plan because of financial and time restriction, according to written minutes of the meeting.
Brent Whelan, a member of the task force said he took issue with this.
“I think we need to look at, and Harvard needs to consider, whether it is ethical for Harvard to not plan for the use of the land that it owns in this community,” Whelan said. “All along Western Avenue there are vacant store fronts which impact this community and you seem perfectly fine with this.”
Later in the meeting, Bruce Houghton, another task force member, said he was also frustrated with the Harvard expansion into Allston.
“Everything that we have seen thus far benefits only Harvard,” he said. “No project seems to benefit the community.”
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