Harvard’s Allston expansion in 9 building permits

Construction is underway for Harvard’s much-ballyhooed Allston expansion.

That expansion is due to pivot around an almost 500,000-square-foot headquarters for the Cambridge-based university’s engineering and applied sciences school.

Work is expected to wrap by the start of the fall semester in 2020. The project was originally supposed to be well underway toward the end of the previous decade, but the Great Recession got in the way.

Harvard’s progress toward its massive Allston footprint can be seen in the nine building permits filed with Boston for 140-156 Western Avenue, the site of the project, per contractor search site BuildZoom. (There was a 10th permit, but it appears to have been pulled.)

• September 5, 2013: “FENCE: Renovate Fencing & Gates to accomodate Adjacent property use and future Project”
• March 19, 2014: “RENOVATIONS TO INCLUDE REMOVAL OF SLURRY WALL, SOIL REMIDATION & CONCRETE APRON”
• January 8, 2016: “Repair cracks and Waterproof foundation”
• July 27, 2016: “Removal of steel framing and concrete slabs in basement and first floor including staircases”
• October 11, 2016: “Modify existing structure to receive new steel and concrete foundations”
• March 16, 2017: “Sidewalk construction; (money on deposit for sdwk);; 7am-4pm;; boston police detail area d;; 343-4210”
• April 19, 2017: “Install steam line;; 20 x 5 rdwy;; guar 2012;; all work : 24 hrs;; boston police detail area d;; 343-4210; no street sdwk closure;; (;; he-077534;; exp 5/17/2018)”
• May 2, 2017: “Classrooms lab space & restrooms”
• June 13, 2017: “Construction of 500 000 sf science and engineering building.; see logs for construction costs and fees”

Stay tuned.

After years of delay, Harvard’s Allston expansion gains ground [Globe]