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 and residential buildings. Smaller concrete placements continue. Mobile cranes will come and go intermittently throughout the month. Utility tie-in and MEP work inside the site continues. Spray-on fireproofing is underway.
Laboratory and Office Buildings
Curtainwall installation is underway on both buildings. Concrete deck placements and rebar operations are ongoing. Spray-on fireproofing is underway. Utility and MEP work inside the perimeter of the site continue. Roofing activities are underway. Wide load mechanical equipment early deliveries accompanied by State Police is expected in November. Two tower cranes are operational. They are designed to move or “weathervane” in the wind. One of the tower cranes is expected to be removed from site requiring after hours work at the end of the month.
Greenway
Excavation is underway with intermodals delivering material for rail transport to the Beacon Yard through the haul road, all inside the site. Drainage structures and pipe installation is underway. Concrete placements for the rainwater storage tank continue.
Treehouse Conference Center
Mass timber deliveries and installation continue with a crane operating. MEP work is underway.
Waterline Installation on Western Avenue
The ERC team has replaced a 12-inch waterline with a larger 16-inch waterline from Hague to Milestone streets on Western Avenue. A temporary bypass waterline will be removed the first week of November. Also a site fence will shift back towards Western Avenue. Pedestrians will shift to the Harvard Business School side of the road and cyclists will share the road.
Milestone Thermals
Work will be finishing up on the southern section of Milestone near the Greenway 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.
General Information
- The hoists (exterior elevators) are operational.
- 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 the weeks of November 7 and 21.
- 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)
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 into 2025. 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.
- Stockpile removal and site cleanup are underway.
- Upcoming work scheduled to start later 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.
- Crews are installing fencing at the railyard.
- Noise continues to be intermittent.
- Dust control measures including the use of a water truck are in place.
92 Seattle Street
Renovation is complete for reuse of this Harvard building. The building is occupied.
- Minor punch list items will be completed during winter break.
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.
- Ivy Lane will be closed for a day later this month for an ART concrete placement.
- Steel deliveries, installation, decking and detailing are underway at the residential building.
- MEP work is underway at both buildings.
- Construction and foundation excavation and material deliveries at the ART project continues.
- Concrete placements will continue on the housing building decks and for slabs at the ART building.
- Hoist (exterior elevator) installation for the housing building continues this month.
- Mockup adjustments are 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.
Project work hours will be Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday work will continue later this month as permitted by the city of Boston also from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
210 North Harvard Street
- A pole and temporary cable will be removed by Eversource/Verizon.
- Sofra Bakery and Café is open.
Masonry Repairs and Panel Replacement at Soldiers Field Park Garage
The masonry repair project at the Soldiers Field Park Garage is finishing up with interior punch list work.
168 Western Avenue
- An exterior site fence has been installed for enabling.
- Interior enabling work is underway.
55 Antwerp Street
- Sidewalk reinstallation is underway with a new fence installation planned for the end of the month.
- Pedestrians will be directed to the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street.
Kresge Way Manhole Cable Install
- The week of November 11, crews are expected to install electrical cables from the District Energy Facility to Kresge Way
- Two manholes will be accessed. One will require a traffic shift.