Allston Construction Mitigation Subcommittee 9/2/2025 Notes
Priscilla Anderson
Future online meetings:
· Tuesday October 7, 2025 Zoom registration
· Thursday November 6, 2025 Zoom registration *Note: the November meeting is on a Thursday, not a Tuesday
· Tuesday December 6, 2025 Zoom registration
Chaired by Harvard Allston Task Force (HATF) member Ed Kotomori, this subcommittee invites developer construction mitigation and community relations staff, Boston Police Department District 14, local and state elected officials and their representatives, and local North Allston neighbors, to discuss construction and safety issues in the neighborhood. All are welcome to attend and contribute.
Notes 9/2/2025
Officer Christine Marini Boston Police Department District-14 (BPD D-14)
· Allston crime stats are really low this month, even though students are returning to town
· One car towed for blocking someone's driveway
· One warrant arrest was made (stole handicap placards)
· One arrest for window peeping, also pre-existing warrants
· 2 house breaks, 2 attempts, homes unlocked, one air-conditioner pushed in (wedged, not screwed in)
· Cars going the wrong way down Hopedale and Windom Sts. continues; BPD is ticketing
· Neighbor concern: car carrier parked across the street from #6 Windom for almost 2 weeks (Officer Marini will look into it)
· Neighbor concern: North Harvard & Kingsley: sunken sewer that needs repair, loud noise of vehicles going over it (Officer Marini will refer it to 311)
Jennifer Roberts, new Allston neighborhood rep (Mayor's office)
· Allston homeowner
· Stop sign on Hopedale @ W Sorrento, meeting this week with city transportation dept
· New resident resource guides given out over the past weekend
· Good coordination with BPD and local security to covered the BU area during move-in weekend
· Neighbor concern: poor condition of Windom St sidewalk adjacent to the driveway #60 Hopedale
Ed LeFlore, Harvard Construction Mitigation Subcommittee
· Enterprise Research Campus (ERC)
o Enabling move-ins for apartment buildings
o Testing fire and power outages scenarios; dictated by the fire department, so there might be activity on the site at off times.
o Sidewalks and hardscaping along Western avenue now; will move out into the street after that
o Lab Buildings are switching to permanent power in the coming weeks
o Landscape components in grove area, water features, hardscape
o LEED certification Draft Project Impact Report documents sustainability efforts (many are city of Boston requirements)
· American Repertory Theater (ART)
o Mass timber of the ART super-structure progressing
o Residential building progressing from lower to higher height buildings, hoist in place
· Harvard Business School starting on residence renovations, likely no public impacts
· Power plant in ERC does not run the ERC buildings; only the HBS and academic buildings
Nick Fils-Aime (Tishman Speyer)
· Ed Kotomori: Tishman Speyer has been a pleasure to work with from the community point of view; addressed problems quickly
· Neighbor suggestion: flyers to each house in the neighborhood to communicate with the neighborhood
· 1 million square feet development with labs, residential, hotel, and conference center
· Upgrades to bus stops in process
· Parking below the buildings and overflow at Soldiers Field Garage
· Negotiating with Harvard to increase shuttle schedule; may add a private shuttle system
· All ERC going for LEED Gold; all-electric
· One Milestone West and East labs are about 500K total sf
· Treehouse: conference center for 650-700 people
· Greenway: opens in October, 2 acres of open space, public programs all year long
· Residential Verra:
o Contact: Jackie Belknap is the building manager; Verr...@greystar.com 617-812-4000 (24/7)
o 25% (86 units) of affordable housing at a range of AMI; currently 50% filled (had 5K applications) by lottery, will be full within 2 weeks; affordable units have same finishes as market rate; prioritize City of Boston residents but can't prioritize Allston-Brighton specifically
o Market rate units average rent $4000 for a 1-bedroom
o Harvard Business School students are high proportion of the renters
o Amenities co-working space, event lounge/dining room, TV room, game room, golf simulator, gym and dog spa; rooftop space with grills
- Hotel 246 rooms, opening in January 2025
- Contact: Nick Fils-Aime, nfils...@tishmanspeyer.com
- independent (not branded)
- Hiring: Union process, Local 26; hiring has started for management, but not union process yet
- Boston-prioritized hiring, but can't be specific to Allston-Brighton
- Hotel room cost varies, average rate mid $300s, varies through the year
- Lifestyle hotel: boutique, independent, full amenities (not luxury, not full-service)
- Below-grade parking under the hotel, valet
Ben Tocchi, Rep Mike Moran's office
- Allston Brighton Parade Sunday September 28, 2025, Honan 5K run, party in Oak Square after the parade
- Harvard-Allston coffee hours: 1st Thursday of the month, in person 8am at Swissbakers on Western Ave with Mark Handley and Kendyl Maher-Trumble
- 9 development projects were discussed in August
- City Realty plans to build a hotel in Allston Square on Cambridge St