Harvard - Allston Campus

Developers have lined up to capitalize on what’s essentially the biggest blank slate in the city of Boston — the 130-plus acres of land across from Harvard Business School in Allston.

Initial applications were due on July 26 for teams interested in building out the first chunk, some 14 acres along Western Avenue, near Harvard’s soon-to-open science and engineering campus. Tom Glynn, chief executive of the Harvard Allston Land Co., said university officials are pleased with the level of interest. The precise number of bidders? Harvard’s not saying. The Harvard land company expects to winnow down the list of players in mid-August, before requiring them to submit detailed proposals by the end of September for Round 2. The winner would be chosen by the end of the year, although the project likely wouldn’t be done for another four.
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The winner of this round would get a foot in the door for subsequent opportunities: the adjacent 22 acres, and then roughly 100 acres further south, in what’s known as Beacon Park Yard.
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https://www.bostonglobe.com/busines...llston-land/snQvk4uNnTE7yJpeIkJLUP/story.html

Globe's update on initial phase of Harvard's development of its Allston land bank. Update discusses lack of mass transit in this area.
 
stellarfun said:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/busines...llston-land/snQvk4uNnTE7yJpeIkJLUP/story.html

Globe's update on initial phase of Harvard's development of its Allston land bank. Update discusses lack of mass transit in this area.
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I'd love to hear Harvard start talking about RAPID transit on the Grand Junction and through Allston. West Station is great and all, but the GLX-style expansion we've discussed ad nauseum in "Design a Better Boston" never gets any mention IRL.
 
George_Apley said:
I'd love to hear Harvard start talking about RAPID transit on the Grand Junction and through Allston. West Station is great and all, but the GLX-style expansion we've discussed ad nauseum in "Design a Better Boston" never gets any mention IRL.
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The only way West Station makes sense (or much more density in this area) in my mind is by having regular service along Grand Junction along with a CR stop. Connecting Harvard Allston directly to Kendall Square on an existing rail right of way that is idle most of the time should be a clear regional priority for transit.

I don't see how N-S rail, or blue line to Lynn or adding a few platforms to South Station gets you the kind of potential as creating a new high power, high value research triangle on transit.
 
Curbed Bostons take:

“Harvard’s Allston parcel sees strong developer interest”
https://boston.curbed.com/platform/amp/boston-development/2019/8/5/20753587/harvard-allston-western-avenue

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navigator4 said:
Why was the power plant built nearest to the river, rather than tucked in the back?
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Energy facilities and universities' energy management systems have surprisingly become a talking point/point of interest for larger schools. They get to say they're more environmentally conscious than competitors, employ the latest innovations, etc. Etc. They can also serve as interesting architectural pieces on campus.. Tuft's new energy plant is rather nice and UMass Amherst's is impressive in size and rather transparent to show off the inside. I'll let Whigh tell everyone about MIT's. I'm hoping this comes out OK, they haven't put the exterior "case," if you will, over this, but hopefully it conceals the bulkiness and industrial look of this.
 
navigator4 said:
Why was the power plant built nearest to the river, rather than tucked in the back?
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Where 'in the back' would you tuck it? This is next to the ramps for the Mass Pike. If it was moved next to the back yards of the homes on Windom St, the residents wouldn't be happy.
 
tangent said:
The only way West Station makes sense (or much more density in this area) in my mind is by having regular service along Grand Junction along with a CR stop. Connecting Harvard Allston directly to Kendall Square on an existing rail right of way that is idle most of the time should be a clear regional priority for transit.

I don't see how N-S rail, or blue line to Lynn or adding a few platforms to South Station gets you the kind of potential as creating a new high power, high value research triangle on transit.
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I'm talking about doing that... but with the Green Line instead of a locomotive that won't work well on the Grand Junction.
 
Yea I actually like this a lot. Ive never seen anything like it, but it looks cool. I always see it as like a modern iteration of the smokestacks that used to dot the landscape. Its small so its not taking up much space but it definitely adds some visual interest at least for me. Its cool to see something unique going up.
 
^^^^Thanks as always for the pix, Beeline. The 'playground' is a child care center. The renovated former WGBH building will be administrative offices for the Science Engineering Complex building.

From the Harvard weekly construction mitigation report, the contractor has been working Saturdays and Sundays for months on the SEC. Much of the weekend work appears to be related to the facade and the screen. Hope there was an allowance for this in the contract.
 
The general palette complements the other former WGBH building directly across the street.

Wait for the crimson????

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