House renewal supports local economy
Harvard University today announced plans to undertake a wide-ranging construction program that will result in the creation of nearly 3,600 local construction jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in new local economic activity while ultimately funneling approximately $10 million into Cambridge city coffers in permitting fees alone. Specifically, Harvard is launching the long-planned effort to renew its undergraduate House system, which forms one of the most distinctive and important features of a Harvard College education. “We’re pleased that the renewal of Harvard’s undergraduate Houses will not only preserve and extend an indelible part of a Harvard College education, but that in doing so, we will help boost the local and regional economy by fostering new jobs and significant permitting revenues for the city,” said Christine Heenan, vice president of Government, Community & Public Affairs. More than 98 percent of Harvard College students live on campus. First-year students live in freshman dorms, located...