BRA approves Allston development plan
The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) unanimously approved Harvard’s 10-year development plan in Allston last night, giving the initial green light to seven new building projects and two major renovations. The approval of an institutional master plan (IMP) covers three new buildings and one renovation at Harvard Business School (HBS), a 200-room hotel and conference center on Western Avenue, a mixed-use institutional building on the site of the former Charlesview apartments, renovations to the Soldiers Field Park graduate student housing, a major renovation of and addition to Harvard Stadium, and a new home for Harvard basketball. While the approval establishes zoning guidelines for the projects contained in the IMP, each project will have to undergo further review. The approval is a key step in the realization of Harvard’s long-visualized future in Allston and comes after a year of intensive community engagement. In creating the document, the University drew upon previous planning efforts and...