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Allston Development Monthly Update- October 2023

Enterprise Research Campus Phase A 

Development work is underway of the future Enterprise Research Campus (ERC) in Allston across from Harvard Business School (HBS) bordered by the Mass Pike, Western Avenue, Hague Street, and the National Resilience Inc. facility at 500 Soldiers Field Road. Phase A will consist of two lab buildings designed for research and development; an apartment building with roughly 345 units, including approximately 86 affordable units (25%) available to households with incomes ranging from 30-100% of the Area Median Income (AMI); a hotel; and a conference center operated by Harvard University. The Greenway will be central to the site and become an active public space with programming and events. 
  
Residential/Hotel    
Bulk excavation of the site will continue this month and foundation operations will begin. The first of two tower cranes will be erected on the south side of the site and will take place either the weekend of October 13th-15th or October 20th-22nd. The tower crane assembly will require after hours work on Friday and Saturday evenings and an early start on Saturday morning. In preparation a crane will be on site Tuesday, October 3rd to set the base of the tower crane. Also, a large concrete placement for the tower crane foundation is planned to start early morning, Thursday, October 5th.
 
Laboratory and Office Buildings 
Bulk excavation of the site will continue this month. Concrete operations will increase as crews install mat slabs at the end of the month. A large crane will arrive on site October 21st to support the mat slab work. Due to the size of the crane and roadway regulations, the crane will arrive on site during the early morning hours.

Greenway    
This section of the site is currently being used for laydown space until crews mobilize in the coming months.   
    
Treehouse Conference Center 
Crews have mobilized on site as construction begins. Preclearing and soil remediation will begin Monday, October 2nd, and bulk excavation of the foundation will begin in mid-October. Trucks will use a private haul road to transport soil to be taken off site via rail at Beacon Park Yard.
   
Building Mock-Ups    
Construction is nearly complete on the first two of the five mock-ups, which assist in evaluating design and constructability. The mock-ups will remain on site for the duration of the projects.    

  • There will continue to be increased truck traffic on Western Ave during project work hours, typically 7AM to 3PM Monday through Friday. Some truck lining activities may begin at 6:30AM.    
  • Saturday work is targeted to take place this month with a 9AM start.
  • Occasional off-hour equipment drop offs/pickups may be necessary with no unloading until 7AM. Also, wide load equipment may be delivered early in the morning.
  • Contractors and subcontractors are directed to have all trucks follow approved truck routes to/from the jobsite to ensure they are not traveling on neighborhood streets. A security officer has been monitoring truck routes at Cambridge and Windom streets.
  • Construction noise will continue during work hours.    
  • Truck wheel wash stations are operational with wheel wells being washed before exiting the site.   
  • Dust control measures remain in place.  

Harvard’s District Energy Facility (DEF)   
The 12 Western Avenue driveway to Harvard’s District Energy Facility (DEF) remains on Milestone Street.   
 
North Allston Storm Drain Extension Project (NASDEP)
The NASDEP is a project for the Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) that is designed in collaboration with Harvard University to alleviate the inundated existing storm water systems in the North Allston neighborhood. The proposed modifications to the BWSC stormwater management system will significantly improve its performance by providing much needed additional conveyance capacity. The enabling work for the project began in 2021 and will continue through 2024. The increased capacity systems are designed to extend from the area south of the new Science and Engineering Complex (SEC), connecting to an existing stormwater drain system in Rena Park, routing through the ERC and following behind the National Resilience Inc. (formerly Sanofi/Genzyme) facility before crossing Soldiers Field Road to an outfall in the Charles River. 

  • Structures are being put in place inside the site off Trotting Avenue.
  • Backfilling is underway at the NASDEP stormwater storage area,  work is finishing up on connected structures. 
  • Activity on-site is ongoing and in accordance with access and monitoring protocols.    
  • Truck traffic to and from the site continues using the designated route from Hague Street.    
  • Noise will continue to be intermittent. 
  • Dust control measures are in place. 

Railyard Improvements

  • Use of two rail sidings at the  Beacon Park Yard facility has been approved by MBTA, CSX and Keolis. Its use will help limit future trucking activity on nearby roadways.    
  • The site is accessed through an existing haul road at the ERC site under Cambridge Street. 

Kresge Way and Extension of Thermal Pipes and Electrical Duct Bank
As part of Harvard’s infrastructure improvements in Allston, the University has relocated utilities across Western Avenue, over to and on Kresge Way, the main driveway into the Harvard Business School (HBS) campus. A temporary drive to Kresge Way remains open to the west of the existing drive. Traffic continues to be relocated to this interim drive on Western Avenue.   

  • Installation of the thermal piping is underway and will continue this month.   
  • Work on the new foundation for the guard shack will begin.
  • Construction will be phased in smaller segments to minimize impacts to visitors, pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles.    
  • Appropriate signage and police details will be in place. 
  • During project hours 7AM to 3PM (at times may extend to 6PM), the work will generate intermittent noise due to the presence of work crews and the use of construction equipment including a vacuum truck and drill rig needed to perform this work.  

92 Seattle Street

  • Renovation is underway for reuse of this Harvard building.    
  • Interior drilling of mini piles has been completed.
  • Concrete slab demolition will continue.
  • Work hours will be Monday through Friday, 7AM to 3PM with possible intermittent coordinated Saturday work.    

175 North Harvard Street 
Preparation is underway for demolition of the building starting later this month. 

  • Sewer and water tie-in work will take place the week of October 2nd in front of 175 North Harvard Street.
    • From Monday through Friday, starting October 2nd through October 6th from 9:30am to 3:30pm, the contractor will impact the bike lane in front of the building.
    • Wednesday – Friday will also impact the travel lane. Another travel lane will remain open for vehicles to use in both directions, and police details have been requested to support this activity.
    • A vacuum truck which generates noise will be in use.
  • Trailer field offices remain occupied in the 201 Western Avenue lot. 
  • The MBTA bus stop and Blue Bike station has been relocated to the McCurdy track side of South Campus Drive. 
  • Interior abatement of the building has been completed.
  • Selective exterior abatement continues under containment.
  • Building demolition is targeted for October 16th.
  • Project work hours will be Monday through Friday from 7AM to 6PM. Some Saturday work may be necessary as permitted by the City of Boston.

210 North Harvard Street    

  • Landlord construction is mainly complete with possible sidewalk reconstruction.
    • Tenant interior construction will continue into June 2024.
  • Exterior sidewalk work may continue.    

Boston Water and Sewer Project – North Harvard Street & Soldier Field Road    
As part of Boston Water and Sewer’s Capital improvement projects, a waterline replacement is underway at the intersection of North Harvard Street and Soldiers Field Road.    

  • Work has stopped on Soldiers Field Road.

108 Holton Street

  • Test pits have been conducted and a site fence has been installed in preparation for future demolition of the building.

25 Travis Street

  • As part of a roof air handler upgrade, a crane will be set up and operating in the lot behind the building on the mornings of October 6th and October 20th.