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
All buildings have been topped off. Curtainwall work continues at the hotel. Preparation for curtainwall is underway at the residential buildings. Concrete deck placement and rebar operations will be complete with equipment removed. The second tower crane will be disassembled with the assembly and use of a large assist crane. This activity will require after-hours work and is currently scheduled to begin on Friday, September 20 through Saturday and Sunday, September 21 and 22. One tower crane has been disassembled near the hotel. Utility tie-in and MEP work inside the site continues. The hoists (exterior elevators) and loading docks on the residential buildings have been installed and are operational. The hotel hoist and loading dock installation will be completed and operational this month. Spray-on fireproofing is underway.
Laboratory and Office Buildings
Curtainwall installation is underway on the west building, which has been topped off. Structural steel operations will be complete this month for the east building. Concrete deck placements and rebar operations are ongoing. Spray-on fireproofing is underway. Utility work and MEP work inside the perimeter of the site continues. Roofing activities are underway. The hoist and loading dock will be operational this month.
Greenway
Pre-clearing excavation is underway with intermodals delivering material for rail transport to the Beacon Yard through the haul road, all inside the site. Backfilling, involving trucks of clean soil entering the site, is underway.
Treehouse Conference Center
Mass timber deliveries and installation continue. MEP work is underway.
Waterline Installation on Western Avenue
The ERC team is working with the City, Boston Water and Sewer and Harvard to replace a 12-inch waterline with a larger 16-inch waterline from Hague to Milestone streets on Western Avenue. The waterline replacement will take place Monday through Thursday nights from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. and begin the week of September 9. A first activity in that area, the installation of a temporary bypass waterline, will begin during standard daytime hours the first week in September. A police officer will direct pedestrian, cycling and roadway traffic. During the nighttime work, pedestrians will shift to the Harvard Business School side of the road and cyclists will share the road.
Milestone Thermals
Work continues on the southern section of Milestone near the DEF (District Energy Facilities) for installation of the duct bank.
Building Mock-Ups
The five Laboratory, Residential/Hotel, and Conference Center mockups are in place near Rotterdam Street at the Hague Street lot.
Eversource Conduit Project Eversource duct bank installation by G. Greene Construction is underway along Western Avenue after hours, typically from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. This public utility work is not under the supervision of ERC.
- Three tower cranes 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 for Thursday, September 5 at 7 a.m. and the week of September 15.
- 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.
- 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.
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 fall 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 line striping remaining.
92 Seattle Street
Renovation is complete for reuse of this Harvard building. Move in and occupancy is underway with punch list activities finishing up.
- Storm water installation is taking place on the east side this month.
- 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
- Steel deliveries, installation, decking and detailing are underway at the residential building.
- MEP work is underway at both buildings.
- Thermal piping installation by a site contractor is finishing up this month.
- Construction and foundation excavation and material deliveries at the ART project continues.
- Concrete placements will continue.
- Utility work on Ivy Lane will begin the week of September 9 through the month. A drain line and water lines will be installed underground during the workday with one lane open. The roadway will be plated and fully open overnight and off hours.
- 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.
- A pole and temporary cable are being removed by Eversource/Verizon.
- Occupancy is planned for October.
Masonry Repairs and Panel Replacement at Soldiers Field Park Garage
Masonry repairs continue at the Soldiers Field Park Garage. Crews have been operating from staging with overhead protection in place. 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.
- Interior renovation work is underway on the third floor.
- A dumpster and delivery area is set up in the parking lot.
168 Western Avenue
- Interior enabling work for a future project.
- A dumpster and delivery area is set up in the parking lot.
304 Western Avenue
- A roofing project is under way into October.
- Most of the work will occur from loading dock area.
