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 continues at the residential buildings and is finishing at the hotel. Boom lifts are at all sides of the buildings. Occasional cranes are set up on site. 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. Elevators are being installed. Framing and bathrooms are being installed. Focusing on making all buildings weathertight. Smaller concrete placements continue. Temporary heaters are operational.
Laboratory and Office Buildings
The one tower crane remaining on the ERC site will be removed and dismantled either the weekend of February 14, 15 and 16 and 17 or the following weekend February 21, 22 and 23, depending on winter weather conditions. Removal of the east tower crane from the site will involve assist cranes and after hours work including Sunday activity. Curtainwall installation and deliveries continue on the buildings. Smaller concrete placements continue. Boom lifts operate around the perimeter. Masonry work continues. Temporary heaters are operational. MEP work continues. Roofing activities are underway. While operational the tower crane is designed to move or “weathervane” in the wind.
Greenway
Some drainage and minor utility work may be underway. Backfilling, involving trucks of clean soil entering the site continues.
Treehouse Conference Center
Mass timber is finishing. A crane will be in operation. Façade frame and glass installation will continue to 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 later in February for approximately one month.
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 at 7 a.m. 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.
- 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 existing inundated 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.
- South of the Science and Engineering Complex (SEC) work between Rena Path and Rotterdam Street continues throughout much of 2025.
- Science Drive is narrowed with a new lane, line striping.
- Excavation for the installation of the support system and to install structures will continue.
- Construction noise continues to be intermittent with a generator and motorized dewatering equipment operating 24 hours
- The Science Drive sidewalk will close temporarily, and pedestrians will be shifted to the SEC walkway when manhole work takes place in mid-February.
- 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 work and adjustments to tenant spaces will take place this month.
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.
- The tower crane at the housing project site is currently scheduled to be disassembled and removed from the site over the weekend beginning Friday evening, February 14. Because this is a sizeable undertaking, the crane disassembly will require early morning and later evening hours through the weekend with removal complete by Sunday, February 16.
- The tower crane is designed to move or “weathervane” in the wind.
- South Campus Drive, the one-way street from Western Avenue to North Harvard Street, will be closed frequently this month with traffic directed to Ivy Lane.
- Steel deliveries, installation, decking and detailing are underway at the residential building and will finish in 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.
- A crane will be set up on the ART site in mid-February to support the installation of mass timber, which will begin in late February and continue for seven months.
- Utility work will continue inside the site perimeters.
- The hoist (exterior elevator) is operating to the 7th floor and is being 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.
- After hours snow and ice removal will take place as needed.
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 trench excavation for utilities and placing concrete pads will take place. Swiss Bakers has temporarily relocated their bakery portion of their store to 9 Travis Street. Swiss Bakers will be operational in that building through the end of May while the kitchen area is renovated.
1340 Soldiers Field Road
- Renovation work is underway inside this building through May.