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 continues at the residential buildings and is finishing at the hotel. Boom lifts are at all sides of the buildings. A suspended scaffolding deck is on the underside of the cantilevered section of the hotel. Mast climber scaffolding continues to be set up on the high-rise building. Windows and roofs are being installed. Utility tie-in and MEP work inside the site continues. Focusing on making all buildings weathertight. Temporary heaters are operational.
Laboratory and Office Buildings
Curtainwall installation and deliveries continue on the buildings, which have been topped off. Smaller concrete placements continue. Boom lifts operate around the perimeter. Masonry work continues. Temporary heaters are operational. MEP work 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 telecommunications systems are being placed. Backfilling, involving trucks of clean soil entering the site continues. Extra pumps have been set up for when it rains or snows.
Treehouse Conference Center
Mass timber deliveries and installation continue. A crane will be in operation. Façade frame installation will take place using boom lifts. MEP work is ongoing. Water, snow, and ice removal continues.
Milestone Thermals
Another phase of work to tie-in to the Treehouse will take place in late January.
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 Thursday morning 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 on 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.
- After hours snow and ice removal will take place as needed.
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 has started in the area south of the SEC. A shift in traffic patterns on Science Drive occurred by having jersey barriers pulled out, parking lanes eliminated, and cones in place for two-way traffic throughout 2025.
- Three weeks of soil preclearing excavation starts on January 9. Workers in protective clothing will be meeting all regulatory requirements and protocols during this activity.
- Truck traffic to and from the site continue using the designated route from Hague Street. Some intermodal trucks will haul soil offroad using a haul road to the Beacon Rail Yard for train transport.
- Noise continues to be intermittent.
- Dust control measures 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. Harvard Capital Projects will make adjustments to tenant spaces starting on January 8.
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 and will finish in January.
- Crane demobilization will occur in early February after steel erection is complete.
- Steel detailing for the ART’s stage and fly tower structure will run through January.
- MEP work is underway at both buildings.
- 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.
- The hoist (exterior elevator) is operating to the 7th floor and will be extended to the higher floors of the residential building this month.
- 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.
Signage Project at SEC
- A signage project is finishing up off the Western Avenue sidewalk in front of the SEC building
168 Western Avenue
- Work will continue inside the building and exterior plumbing is set to begin mid-January. Swiss Bakers will temporarily be relocating their bakery portion of their store to 9 Travis Street later in January. Swiss Bakers will be operational in that building February through the end of May while the kitchen area is renovated