Harvard declines further involvement with Charlesview's relocation

The Harvard Crimson :: News :: Allston: Charlesview Proposal Incomplete

Harvard’s Director of Community Relations for Boston Kevin A. McCluskey ’76 said that the work of developing the new Charlesview should be left to Community Builders, Inc.

“We worked very cooperatively with the board to craft this agreement and to maintain Charlesview as an important housing resource for the community,” he said. “But at this stage, it is now a project that is to be proposed by the Charlesview board and developers.”

Its a shame this is Harvard's position. They really do have a lot of housing and design expertise they could bring to this project. For example, Nicolas Retsinas from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University was the co-chair of the City's Blue Ribbon Panel on Housing Finance. Among other things, this panel noted that:

"While government has a key role in encouraging residential development, the City must also send a call for action to its traditional community partners including businesses, institutions, non-profits, and even residential organizations. The City can serve as facilitator, leveraging its powers to engage the private sector to support public priorities. Private partners could contribute in various ways, whether through financial assistance, provision of land, or provision of services...The City should engage with local educational, medical, and religious institutions to identify new opportunities for public/private cooperation for residential development."

I agree with Paul's comment and think it is worth continued efforts to have Harvard bring the positive role that it can to this project.

“I still think that Harvard could play more of a role in the development, especially since they were the ones who caused this to happen,” said President of the Allston Civic Association Paul Berkeley. “They have an obligation to make sure that the community is happy.”