All sites will not be working on Independence Day on Thursday, July 4, 2024
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
Curtainwall work has begun at the hotel. Preparation for curtainwall is underway at the residential buildings. Concrete deck placement and rebar operations will be ongoing through the month on the residential buildings and the hotel. One tower crane will be disassembled targeting the weekend of July 20 and July 21 with some after- hours work required. Hotel structural steel will be completed. Utility tie-in work inside the site continues. The hoists (exterior elevators) and loading docks are being installed and will gradually start operations at all three buildings. Spray-on fireproofing is underway.
Laboratory and Office Buildings
Steel operations continue this month with the buildings topping off. Concrete deck placements and rebar operations are ongoing. Spray-on fireproofing is underway. Utility work inside the perimeter of the site continues. Hoist installation will start up on the southern elevation with curtainwall preparation also beginning in mid-July.
Greenway
This section of the site is currently being used for laydown space until crews mobilize in the coming months.
Treehouse Conference Center
Mass timber deliveries and installation continue. Scaffolding removal and core preparation work will take place. Stairwell concrete work will occur. Backfilling will finish up.
Building Mock-Ups
Adjustments and punch-list work on the Laboratory, Residential/Hotel, and Conference Center mockups will continue this month. The 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.
- Four tower cranes have been erected and are operational. They are designed to move or “weathervane” in the wind.
- Saturday work is targeted to take place this month starting at 7 a.m. Some concrete placements and steel installation may also be necessary.
- Drones will be in use every other week to monitor construction progress.
- 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, Thursdays or Fridays from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. alternating weekly.
- Flights are scheduled during the weeks of July 8 and July 22.
- Occasional off-hour equipment drop offs/pickups may be necessary with no unloading until 7 a.m.
- 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/Seattle 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 to be perceptible during work hours.
- Dust control measures remain in place.
- 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 the structure near Rotterdam Street.
- Stockpile removal and site cleanup are underway.
- Upcoming work scheduled to start this summer 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 continue using the designated route from Hague Street. Some trucks will haul soil offroad using the Beacon Rail Yard.
- Noise continues to be intermittent.
- Dust control measures including the use of a water truck 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. This phase of the work is complete with minor punch-list activities finishing up.
92 Seattle Street
Renovation is finishing up for reuse of this Harvard building.
- East façade and ramp activity work will finish up.
- Concrete footings, walls and a ramp will be placed.
- Electrical connection work in coordination with Eversource is nearly complete.
- Exterior painting of a mural near Rena Path will take place.
- Crews are completing interior finish work.
- Tenant fit-out work is underway.
- Work hours will be Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. with possible intermittent coordinated Saturday work.
175 North Harvard Street/100 South Campus Drive/201 Western Avenue
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.
- A tower crane has been installed at the housing project site and is designed to move or “weathervane” in the wind.
- South Campus Drive has been converted to a one-way street from Western Avenue to North Harvard Street with intermittent closures.
- Daily concrete and rebar work is underway at both sites.
- Steel deliveries and installation will start on the residential building in mid-July.
- Thermal piping installation will be starting within the site later in July.
- The ART project will be placing their mat slab, which will require a 5 a.m. start on Friday, July 19.
- Construction and foundation excavation and material deliveries at the ART project continues.
- Mockup installation is ongoing 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.
- Lot expansion is complete at the 201 Western Avenue lot, where construction workers park and field offices are set up and in use.
- Electrical connection work is expected to take place this month in coordination with Eversource.
- Occupancy is planned for September.
108 Holton Street
The building and soils have been removed. Site restoration is underway and will be completed this month.
- Project work hours will be Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Some Saturday work may be necessary as permitted by the City of Boston, also from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Dust, noise and vibration monitors are positioned around the site.
Minor drainage work is planned inside the lot.
Masonry Repairs and Panel Replacement at Soldiers Field Park Garage
Masonry repairs are taking place on the northern brick exterior off the alley adjacent to the Soldiers Field Park Building 2. Crews have been setting up cables and staging. A lift will be used to conduct this work from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays with set up beginning at 7 a.m.
Summer Activities
Harvard Business School and Harvard Real Estate have a variety of projects happening within and on the exterior of their buildings this summer.
