Harvard tries to address neighbors’ concerns as it seeks to develop Allston land. But will it be enough?
University outlines concessions to address affordability, while state rep Mike Moran continues to push for more.
The debate over Harvard’s vast land holdings in Allston is shaping up to be one of Boston’s most consequential development sagas. And it’s now Mayor Michelle Wu’s turn to referee it all, the Globe’s John Chesto reports in his “Chesto Means Business” column.
From Harvard’s perspective, the university just took a big step forward by extending an olive branch to its wary neighbors. Executive vice president Katie Lapp spelled out a long list of commitments in a letter, sent to Wu and others last week, to address concerns about gentrification, green space, and traffic as Harvard tries to start turning over pieces of nearly 140 acres it controls in Allston for commercial development.
But will it be enough to get the green light to begin? Maybe not. State Representative Mike Moran, a Brighton Democrat who has led the scrutiny of Harvard’s plans, said he views what was outlined as just a starting point for neighborhood negotiations. In other words, it won’t be easy getting the university’s Enterprise Research Campus, a multi-block project submitted to the Boston Planning & Development Agency a year ago, on the agenda for approval anytime soon.
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