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
Deliveries of wide-load equipment accompanied by State Police is expected most weekdays throughout the month. Curtainwall installation is underway on the buildings, which have been topped off. Smaller concrete placements continue. Spray-on fireproofing is underway. Utility and MEP work inside the perimeter of the site continues. Roofing activities are underway. One tower crane is operational at the east building. It is designed to move or “weathervane” in the wind.
Greenway
Drainage structures and pipe installation is underway. Concrete placements for the rainwater storage tank continue. Backfilling, involving trucks of clean soil entering the site continues.
Treehouse Conference Center
Mass timber deliveries and installation continue. MEP work is underway.
Waterline Installation on Western Avenue
The waterline installation has been completed. All trenched areas have been patched. Line stripes are being restored.
Milestone Thermals
Another phase of work to tie-in to the Treehouse will take place in early 2025.
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
- Project work hours will be Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Saturday work is targeted to take place this month starting at 7 a.m.
- 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 Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. weekly.
- 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.
- All construction hoists (exterior elevators) are operational.
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.
- Work scheduled to start the week of December 9 in the area south of the SEC will require a shift in traffic patterns on Science Drive and the elimination of the parking lanes throughout 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.
- Project work hours will be Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
92 Seattle Street
The building is occupied. Minor punch list items to be completed during Harvard’s 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
- Steel deliveries, installation, decking and detailing are underway at the residential building.
- Steel deliveries and installation will start the week of December 9 at the ART project.
- MEP work is underway at both buildings.
- Construction and foundation excavation and material deliveries at the ART project continue.
- Concrete placements will continue on the housing building decks and for foundation areas at the ART building.
- Concrete finishing work using power trowels may extend into the evening.
- Utility work will continue inside the site perimeters.
- Hoist (exterior elevator) installation continues with operation expected this month at the residential building.
- Mockup installation and 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.
168 Western Avenue
- An exterior site fence has been installed for enabling.
- Interior enabling work is underway.
55 Antwerp Street
- Fence installation is underway.
- Pedestrians may be directed to the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street.
Kresge Way Manhole Cable Install
- Crews are expected to install electrical breakers and test from the District Energy Facility to Kresge Way manholes.