Enterprise Research Campus Phase A
Development work continues at 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 consists of two lab buildings designed for research and development; two apartment buildings with roughly 345 units (Verra), including approximately 86 affordable units (25%) available to households with incomes ranging from 30-100% of the Area Median Income (AMI); a hotel, The Atlas ; and the David Rubenstein Treehouse 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
The residential buildings (Verra) are open. The midrise and high rise residential buildings are occupied with some punch-list and fit-out work being completed. Trotting Avenue is partially open onto Western Avenue. The hotel has received a temporary certificate of occupancy allowing owner’s operational work to take place. Finish work continues in and around the hotel.
Laboratory and Office Buildings
The building mechanical systems are being started up and tested. Ground floor work continues. Roofing and terrace finishing with planting and paving activities finishing. Elevators are being installed and inspected. Bathroom detailing work is underway. Mechanical penthouse and other MEP detail activities continue. Garage finish work is underway. Millwork, flooring and painting continue. Hardscaping including paver and hardscape installation and other landscaping work is taking place around the building.
Treehouse Conference Center
The conference center is occupied with operations and events taking place. Finish activity continues in coordination with Treehouse operations. Terrace paver activities are underway. Interior and exterior punch-list work continues. A site crew will be finishing landscaping including installing pavers around the building.
Greenway
Crews continue hardscape especially paver work and water feature activities including testing. Boulder finishes are underway. Bio-swale deck and landscape work continues. Remaining trees and shrubs are being planted.
Western Avenue and Streetscape
Prepping for mill and overlay paving, sidewalk and utilities on Western Avenue is underway. Plans being reviewed by the City are for Western Avenue to be milled one lane at a time on a weekend from Hague Street to National Resilience, leaving a rough driving surface until the next weekend when paving is anticipated to take place later this month. Installation of sidewalks, bike lanes, light pole bases, curbing, railings, stone, pavers and more continue around the buildings and on Milestone Street and Trotting Avenue inside the site.
ERC 1.4 Balance Streetscape
Work is underway on street work beyond that in ERC Phase A including some infrastructure work including preparation and paving extended roadways including Axle Way, Milestone east work and extended Trotting Avenue towards Almay Street in the site.
Fiberoptic and Milestone Thermal Work
Fiber-optic work continues intermittently.
Building Mock-Ups
Demolition of the five Laboratory, Residential/Hotel, and Conference Center mockups is being planned in coordination with Harvard Transportation and Parking. Work will take place in the Hague Street with protection in place for traffic along Rotterdam Street.
General Information
- Project work hours are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Saturday and some Sunday work will take place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Drones will be in use every Thursdays at 3 p.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.
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 through 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 is complete.
- This enabling phase of the project is complete, future phases are in permitting review.
92 Seattle Street
The building is occupied. Minor roof activity will take place.
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.
- South Campus Drive, the one-way street from Western Avenue to North Harvard Street, will be closed this month during standard work hours with traffic directed to Ivy Lane.
- MEP work is underway at both buildings.
- Two cranes are supporting the façade work at the residential building. Other mobile cranes will intermittently be brought into the site for activities on both projects.
- The mass timber structure has been installed for the American Repertory Theatre (ART). Some mass timber detail work continues. Mechanical systems installation continues. Concrete decking, curtainwall and roofing work follow the mass timber installation.
- The brick façade is being installed on the residence building. Mast-climber scaffolding, swing staging and boom lifts are being used for all façade work.
- Roofing work and window installing are finishing. Interior fit-out work is underway.
- The hoist (exterior elevator) on the residential building is operational.
- Mock-ups and storage are located 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.
- The 201 Western Avenue lot (with overflow at Webster Field at Athletics) is 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 and some Sunday work will continue 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 (Swiss Bakers)
- Minor punch list work is ongoing with some exterior paving near the garage door area.
100 Holton Street
- A roofing project on two back older sections of the roof of 100 Holton St started on September 2 and will continue through the month.
- Crews are making repairs and applying a liquid proofing membrane, which may emit an odor, on the roof above Red Sky Studios and other businesses in the back of the building closer to Everett Street.
Harvard Business School
Chase/McCulloch/Dillon is an extensive renovation project underway at HBS through next summer.