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A conceptual rendering released in 2019 of the Harvard Enterprise Research Campus in Allston. Image courtesy of Studio Gang and Henning Larsen
Elected officials in Allston are asking for a timeout on approval of Harvard University’s Enterprise Research Campus and plans to rezone the Western Avenue corridor until after the Boston mayoral election in November.
District 9 City Councilor Liz Breadon and the neighborhood’s three representatives on Beacon Hill said in a letter to city planning offiicals that Harvard has conducted insufficient outreach to Allston residents and should be required to make “significant commitments” for affordable housing, sustainability, transit and workforce development.
“Given the scale and intent of this planned development, we fear a replication of the Seaport in Allston, with all of its accompanying issues,” the letter states, citing the potential for socioeconomic and racial segregation.
Harvard is partnering with developer Tishman Speyer on a proposed new campus on Western Avenue including 440,000 square feet of office-lab space, 330 housing units, a 250-unit hotel and 75,000-square-foot conference center in the first 6-acre phase of the Western Avenue project. A second phase would include 1 million square feet of development on an adjacent 4.5-acre site, including offices, labs and housing.
At the same time, the Boston Planning and Development Agency is conducting a Western Avenue planning study which proposes increases in building heights, lot coverage and housing affordability requirements.
Harvard owns half of the land located within the study area and will be the largest beneficiary of the rezoning, according to the letter which was also signed by state Sen. Sal DiDomenico and state Reps. Kevin Honan and Michael Moran.
“Harvard has relied on their developer partner to conduct all community outreach. This is unacceptable. Additional time is needed for Harvard to rectify this situation,” states the letter, as first reported by the Harvard Crimson.
The officials claim that Harvard “has made no long-term, substantive commitments to equity to ensure all Boston households will have meaningful access to this neighborhood.”
Responding to the letter, Harvard Allston Land Co. spokeswoman Brigid O’Rourke said university representatives routinely participate in public meetings on the Allston projects. The university has agreed to more than $70 million in community benefits for Allston-Brighton including parks, affordable housing, and the Ed Portal center at 224 Western Ave. provides educational, workforce and cultural programs for the community.
Harvard committed to additional community outreach at a July 27 meeting of the Harvard Allston Task Force.
“There are dozens of other ongoing ways and opportunities for Harvard and Allston residents to engage on a variety of subjects. We’re proud of the deep and meaningful relationships we have throughout the neighborhood,” O’Rourke said in a statement.
Harvard and Tishman Speyer previously announced that 5 percent of the project ownership would be set aside for minority investors and a portion of the project’s retail space would be reserved by local, minority- and women-owned businesses.
Tishman Speyer announced this summer that it has brought in 157 minority investors contributing $30.8 million including Mastry Inc. founder Rudy Cline-Thomas and a group of professional athletes.
Developers also are working with Milton Benjamin of KAGE Growth Strategies and diversity consultant Taidgh McClory on social equity outreach and developer Richard Taylor on equity fundraising.
Editor’s note: This report has been updated with comment from Harvard Allston Land Co.
