Harvard slowing Allston expansion, Faust announces

where was this to be located? I know there is a vacant K-mart that I've heard rumours about -- did Harvard buy that land too?

Havard has plenty of money, more then they could likely spend. They should lead and invest during these tough times. Infuse the local economy with jobs and investment. This seems like a greedy move on their part, and their lack of leadership puts a dent in there world class stature.

The Allston activists who held up this project for literally years will now complain that ...it's gonna take YEARS for this project to get built!!

I don't doubt that there is some sense to re-examining expenses at Harvard, when you lose that much money. With that said, with $25-$30 billion dollars still in their coffers, this construction is something they can afford. Even with $1 billion a year of their operating expenses coming from this endowment, it's not like the endowment isn't going to go up again, and they still have enough to fund that portion of expenses for literally decades. The construction would at least be a lot of construction dollars poured into the local economy. It's time for Harvard to be more than an opportunist neighbor in buying up property left and right, and be more of a community neighbor by helping the local ecconomy and ending the seemingly endless visual blight of this construction.

So......................they're dissappointed that Harvard will not be expanding in Allston but fighting BC's expansion in Brighton. Let them eat cake or at least Twinkies. I'm actually tired of ALL the negative economy press. It has turned into the post 9/11 "oh my God we are going to be attacked again!' PANIC. This time it is complete economic panic. The United States has become a bunch of pansies! Suck it up and let's get to work!

Now is the time for Harvard to invest in Allston--not abandon the community!
What about showing the people of Boston some leadership? Harvard is the kind of institution that could help sustain the community by providing jobs and following through with commitments already made.

Harvard lives off the dole. Reaping in the rewards offered to non-profit institutions, yet they fail to deliver on many counts.

The communities that surround Harvard has seen potential tax dollars siphoned away as a result of Harvard's land grabbing. Harvard has failed to plan ahead on those rainy days when the money spigots close to a trickle, and now the communities, Harvard's employees, and a slew of construction projects are, either, put on hold or are hurt financially all on account of Harvard's endowment decreasing to the mid $20 billion mark.

Come on Harvard - invest in the communities, your employees, and the local economy. Stop acting as though you're the poor kid on the block because it's duplicitous for you to act as though you are when you have plenty of dollars that have yet to be spent in your substantial endowment.

Perhaps, the Butcher of Radcliffe, Drew Gilpin Faust, should be asked if all she really is looking towards doing for the benefit of Harvard is to cut jobs, as she did at Radcliffe. If that is the case, then she's succeeding with her "early retirement" offering to some of Harvard's employees. I smell a rat and the stench is wafting over from Cambridge. Its a shame honestly.

Harvard University, as well as other Boston universities, contribute to a large percentage of construction in the Boston area. Yes, construction of hotels and residences are near dead in this city but it has always been the comfort of many laborers, not your typical 'Hey' let me see your green card' worker, but mostly union workers that there still will be Harvard Alston to look forward to. These unions, overseen by the city, must meet percentages such as 50% city resident. This is a loss of work directly effecting local laborers. I agree with some of the comments above. A 30% loss over that large a pocket shouldn't hamper developments in an education industry you could argue has not hurt much and hey, a lot of people are going back to school now. Bad leadership Faust.

How can the city accept this? What about all the promises? Maybe it is time that colleges start to lead by example and actually help the community and not hurt it. Harvard had no problem spending billions aquiring all the property in Allston that could have been developed and providing tax dollars the coffers.
The least Harvard can do is help drive the economy and finish what it has started. Don't they owe the city and the neighborhood people that at a minimum. Maybe the city should re-think allowing this Project to move forward when Harvard comes begging for future permits. Where is the Mayor (the neighborhood man) now? Harvard should be acting as a leader in this situation and using some of the billions of dollars that have been "endowed " to them to be used at this most critical time. Stop being so irresponsible!

...there goes my job - thanks harvard. You have $30 Billion... I have a unemployment check of about $400 a week. Lets see who lasts longer.

Harvard has bought a lot of land in Allston, I used to go to the K-mart and the stores around the mall, but now its just sitting empty. There are a lot of activists trying to hamper the progress, and now they are complaining the halt. Its just like Ikea in Sommerville, where people are opposed to the large furniture chain.

I hope Harvard can reconsider and start building in Allston as the empty building are like a blight and they tend to attract the negative and drive our the positive elements.

Its a good time to buy when property is cheaper than before, and buying the foreclosed properties and empty properties in Allston now will also help the community, as when the buildings are build, they either bring in more students or have more shops, and anyway, equalivalent to more employment.

Maybe Harvard would help the "community" (read: NIMBY) if the "community" didn't put up a list of demands every time Harvard wants to build. This building would have been finished by now if this were any other city but alas, this is boston where nimbys have to much power and people just generally suck.

Local jobs and the local economy will not be the only things hurt if this construction project goes south. This project has engaged suppiers of materials and services from all over Mass, New England and even companies in Europe and beyond. The economic problems are as global as Harvard's reputation which is likely to be tarnished globally by its crying poor mouth at a time when it should be taking a lead roll. Its one thing if you don't have the resources but, com'mon, - the value of the project is only a half a percent of the remaining endowment fund. What am I not getting here? What is Harvard teaching Me and mine??

I support Plan A/B-
Let Harvard build their complex on the former Charlesview (including a sewer treatment, water treatment, garbage dump, power plant, and parking for 6,000 vehicles), build the complex for displaced Charlesview residents on Brighton Mills, and grants the remainder of the land grab back to the people of Allston/Brighton en perputua for park and community owned resources.

Remember, most gainful employement at Harvard will be reserved for alumni, graduate students, or foreign guests. Most of the other "mythical" jobs will probably be low paying start-at-the-bottom-and-stay-there contract positions. Harvard has not been good for Cambridge -- one of the most resistant pockets of poverty in MA -- just visit Central Square after 3 pm when the working poor line up in hopes for bed for the night. Harvard is, and will be, a choke hold on any economic or other community development in Allston/Brighton.