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
Two tower cranes have been erected and are operational. They are designed to move or “weathervane” in the wind. Concrete placement and rebar operations will be ongoing through the month. Work is becoming more visible as the hotel and residential core is constructed.
Laboratory and Office Buildings
Concrete and rebar operations will continue this month. Crews are assembling the first of two tower cranes the first weekend in March. Structural steel operations are planned to begin the week of March 4.
Greenway
This section of the site is currently being used for laydown space until crews mobilize in the coming months.
Treehouse Conference Center
Rebar, concrete, and waterproofing operations are ongoing.
Building Mock-Ups
Work on the Laboratory, Residential/Hotel, and Conference Center mockups will continue this month. These five mockups help to assess the design and constructability of the buildings. Intermittent deliveries will take a lane of Rotterdam Street adjacent to the mock-up site at the Hague Street lot.
- Saturday work is targeted to take place this month starting at 7AM.
- Drones will be in use weekly to monitor construction progress and provide structural analysis on site.
- Drones will be operated by licensed pilots in accordance with Harvard University and the City of Boston regulations.
- Flights are weather dependent and are scheduled Wednesdays or Thursdays from 7AM to 9AM, alternating weekly.
- Occasional off-hour equipment drop offs/pickups may be necessary with no unloading permitted until 7AM. Also, wide load equipment may be delivered in the early morning hours.
- 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 and at North Harvard Street for early hour concrete placements.
- Increased security monitoring is planned for North Harvard Street during larger early morning placements.
- Construction noise will continue during work hours.
- Dust control measures remain in place.
- Snow and ice plans are in place as needed.
- Concrete finishing work using power trowels may extend into the evenings.
- A switchover to temporary power continues eliminating the need for most generators on site.
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.
- Work continues on structures inside the site off Trotting Avenue.
- Box culverts and structures are being installed from east to west towards Rotterdam Street.
- Upcoming work scheduled to start in mid-to-late March in the area south of the SEC will require a shift in traffic patterns on Science Drive and the elimination of the parking lanes into 2025.
- 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.
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 will relocate to its original alignment across from Milestone Street at ERC. Until this happens, traffic continues to be relocated to the interim drive on Western Avenue.
- Restoration of the site will be completed this month.
- The shift to the former Kresge Way alignment is scheduled for Monday, March 11.
- Appropriate signage and police details will be in place.
- During project hours from 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.
92 Seattle Street
Renovation is underway for reuse of this Harvard building.
- Roofing and demolition work activities will occur this month.
- A crane and lift will be required to hoist and remove roofing materials.
- Crane and lift activities are being coordinated with Harvard Transportation.
- Crews continue to work on the interior of the building.
- Work hours will be Monday through Friday, 7AM to 3PM with possible intermittent coordinated Saturday work.
175 North Harvard Street/100 South Campus Drive
Harvard University is constructing a new home for the American Repertory Theater (ART) at 175 North Harvard Street and on the adjacent site at 100 South Campus Drive, a new Harvard University Affiliate Housing building for Harvard graduate students.
- Bulk excavation of the Housing project will continue.
- Mud mat and mat slab placements will continue throughout the month.
- South Campus Drive will be converted to a one-way street from Western Avenue to North Harvard Street.
- A gate on North Harvard Street will be relocated to open onto South Campus Drive the first week of March.
- Crews will begin to mobilize on Monday, March 11 to begin construction and foundation mass excavation of the ART.
- Pre-trenching in preparation for sheet pile installation will take place.
- Sheet pile installation, which will generate noise, will occur the weeks of March 18 and 25.
- Mockups will begin construction across the street near Academic Way.
- Trucks will adhere to the Harvard truck route and stage at Beacon Park Yard to avoid traffic congestion in and around the site.
- The MBTA bus stop and Blue Bike station have been relocated to the McCurdy track side of South Campus Drive.
- 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 also from 7AM to 6PM.
114 Western Avenue
- Solar panel installation has been completed.
- Inspections and Eversource energizing are underway and upcoming.
210 North Harvard Street
- Tenant fit-out is ongoing.
- In coordination with Eversource, electrical connection work is expected to occur this month.
- The sidewalk in front of the building on North Harvard Street and Bertram Street will be replaced later in spring 2024.
108 Holton Street
- Test pits have been conducted and a site fence has been installed in preparation for demolition of the building currently scheduled for later this spring.
Replacement Gas Line Installation at Athletics
A gas line installation within the Athletics Campus is finishing up along the walkway (parallel to N. Harvard St) and along the backside of the Blodgett Pool, Lavietes Pavilion, Dillon Field House and stops near Bright Landry Hockey Arena.
- Trench exaction and pipe installation has been completed.
- Gas line switchover is scheduled to take place during Harvard spring recess, the week of March 11.
- Finals restoration will take place by the end of the month.
- Work hours are 7AM-3:30PM.
