City: Faust must bargain

The Herald's Jay Fitzgerald summarizes the recent Harvard/Allston developments:

In response to neighborhood anger at the slowing pace of Harvard University’s expansion in Allston, Mayor Thomas M. Menino is putting pressure on the university to get its construction act together.

Menino, whose administration initially downplayed Harvard’s decision to delay construction of its new $1 billion science complex in Allston, has fired off a letter to Harvard President Drew Faust, demanding meetings with the city and explanations about Harvard’s numerous vacant buildings in Allston.

The mayor’s office initially expressed understanding of Harvard’s plight.

But neighorhood residents, fed up with abandoned buildings in the area across the Charles River from Harvard’s main campus in Cambridge, haven’t been happy with Harvard’s development plans.