Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and the Boston Planning and Development Agency announced on Tuesday that Harvard and developer Tishman Speyer are commiting 25% of the housing units in the first phase of its proposed Enterprise Research Campus in Allston to be income-restricted.
The project, which would be constructed on a section of Western Avenue in Allston by the Charles River and is slated to cover 900,000 square feet, has been the subject of heated debate among community members. But Tuesday's announcement from Wu may be the olive branch needed to move the project forward.
Along with the commitment from Harvard to make 25% of housing in the new campus income restricted — a commitment that would be the largest percentage of income-restricted units in a single project by a private developer in Boston — Harvard is also committing to giving $25 million to establish an Allston-Brighton Affordable Housing Fund that would be used to help support affordable housing in the neighborhood.
“The development of Harvard’s land in Allston is of such scale and scope that the impact will shape generations to come — we must get this right for our communities. The package before the board for this first phase represents a remarkable step forward for housing affordability, green space, workforce development, and community planning resources to ensure careful alignment with neighborhood needs,” Wu said in a statement. “I’m grateful to the many community leaders and activists who have shaped this agreement and who will continue to steer our focus for sustainable, equitable development.”
The commitment was met with support from community leaders. Anthony D’Isidoro, president of the Allston Civic Association, told GBH News that he's hopeful the move can help bring some resolution to the debate over the project.
"25%, certainly we'd love more initially, sure. But 25% is significant," he said. "And of course the mayor's administration is touting it as precedent setting, I guess it goes beyond what was achieved with the Suffolk Downs project," he added, referring to the development project in East Boston that was previously the largest contribution of affordable housing by a single development project in the city's history.
In a statement, Cindy Marchando of the Harvard-Allston Task Force said that "our vision of an inclusive community where people of all income levels, artists, immigrants, students, and seniors can afford to live and continue to thrive has not changed."
"We are very appreciative that the administration came in and was able to help facilitate this agreement that will allow us to move to the next phase of this project," she said. "We look forward to working collaboratively with the BPDA, Harvard, and the administration on the future phases of this transformative project."
Staff at the BPDA are recommending the project for a vote at the BPDA Board of Directors meeting on Thursday.
D’Isidoro said that he wouldn't expect to see a project like this receive this much publicity if the administration wasn't confident that Phase A would be approved. He also praised the leadership of Wu to help steer all parties involved to this point.
"One thing I love about this mayor... she's very community oriented, she listens very intently to community leaders when it comes to this kind of stuff," he said. "If she felt there wasn't enough of a consensus to go forward with this on Thursday, either this would never have gotten on the agenda or, if it did, it might have gotten pulled at the last minute."
In a statement, a Harvard spokesperson said the university appreciates all the work that has gone into advancing the project.
"We’re pleased to be on the BPDA Board agenda and look forward to the public hearing on Thursday," the statement said.
