I want my new park and triple deckers…

Walking around last Sunday there were lots of great things to see — utility boxes being painted (1) and new pansies planted everywhere (2).  Walking around to the other side of the river I saw a new park near completion at the corner of Western and Memorial where Mahoney’s used to be.  The park looked like it was very well designed and had 3 new buildings rising behind it (top of image to the left).  The buildings blended in with the neighborhood well — not too tall, not too wide.  If it wasn’t for the new paint and my memory of the area I would have said they were there for years.  I thought what a great model for Harvard and/or Charlesview to follow.  I asked a friend in Cambridgeport and he said it was new MIT housing.  Great!  I can write a blog lambasting Harvard and holding up MIT as an example of what is pure and good.

Wrong!  Upon googling the project it became quickly clear this was a Harvard development (3).  Wha-wha-what?!?   I’m confused.  Shouldn’t there be a large tower blocking the river or perhaps a large hole in the ground (ok, there was a small hole, but I saw the dirt that was going to fill it in piled next to it)? 

Ok, I’m bashing Harvard for the new Charlesview design, which they allegedly have no control over, and for a building that they allegedly don’t have the money to complete and they ARE continuing work on the Library Park.  All I have to say is they seem to be doing a pretty good job on the other side of the river and spotty job on this side. 

And at the risk of sounding like a broken record — the new Charlesview will be their neighbor too.  If that comes off poorly Harvard students won’t need http://www.thisisharvard.org to see poorly maintained Harvard-related buildings, they will only need to look out their classroom or apartment windows.

(1) http://allston02134.blogspot.com/2009/04/boston-shines-brings-art-to-western-ave.html;   My favorite so far is the one in front of Stadium Autobody.

(2) Can’t get the photos off my camera with BitPim, but walk around they’re really there!  Especially in Barry’s Corner.

(3)  http://www.cambridgema.gov/cdd/cp/parks/riverside/index.html

Mutant Rats Attack Allston?

This would be funny if it wasn’t (almost) true:

http://www.ivygateblog.com/2009/04/harvard-expansion-unearthing-rats-big-enough-to-put-saddles-on-allston-residents-not-glad/

New Use For Former Comcast Building

Travis St gate today

Comcast has since moved to the other side of the Pike… adding its foot traffic to the revitalized Cambridge St.  Given all the empty store fronts on Western Ave I think people would even welcome a tattoo parlor (no offense to Stingray Body Art) in North Allston.

Science center site map

Before the fence

Oldies, but goodies - Allston resists Harvard

Former Charlesbank Cleaners:

Former Citgo

 (1) http://groups.google.com/group/ABNNF/browse_thread/thread/38462be4dfe8e7bc

Conditional tax exemption, the other stick

Another stick that could be used to get action out of Harvard is to make the tax exempt status of their properties conditional, not automatic.  The city of Boston already has a similar regime in place to implement the resident discount (1)

For those unfamiliar with the resident discount it works like this - you buy a house in Boston;  You get your first tax bill and are blown away with how much it is;  You call the Assessing Dept and they tell you to apply for a residential discount first quarter next year;  Next year you apply stating you are a resident of Boston and get a 30% discount on your property tax bill.

Why shouldn’t Harvard and other tax exempt entities have to go through a similar application process?  In this application they should have to state that they are using the property for a use consistent with their non-profit goals and fulfilling a public good.

If a building is sitting vacant it would not qualify for tax exemption.

If a building is used as a normal apartment building it would not qualify for tax exemption.(2)

If a building is being used for the public good - classrooms, dorms, museums, etc.  - then it gets the exception.  The Assessing Department would have some wiggle room, so mixed use buildings like those discussed for Barry’s Corner could get an exemption even if some floor space were used for a more for-profit nature.

As citizens of this state we allow some entities to operate without paying any taxes in order to promote their growth for the good of everyone.  When they use this free pass to do nothing with previosuly taxed property or to make a profit, competing with similar for-profit businesses, do they really deserve the full exemption that we have granted them? 

(1) http://www.cityofboston.gov/assessing/resexempt.asp

(2) http://www.universalhub.com/node/14645

Harvard endowment spending finally up to 5% for this fiscal year

Harvard’s endowment spending is finally up to 5% (1).  This has been brought about more by the reported 30% endowment loss, and subsequent budget cuts, than an actual increase in spending.  Complaining that spending has been below 5% for years and years is water under the bridge.  Cuts and endowment spending increases, by percentage, appear to be consistent from school to school (2).  I hope this level of spending will continue once this economic period ends and endowment growth resumes.

(1) http://philanthropy.com/news/philanthropytoday/3738/harvard-follows-yale-in-increasing-endowment-

spending (note: the 4.3% past spending)

(2) http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=atwyPj1i9.xE&refer=home (note: the 3.8% past spending)

Article in Boston Sunday Globe Magazine

For those who didn’t catch it, in this last Sunday’s Boston Globe Magazine (1), Tom Keane discusses a glitzy opening of a new coffee shop on Newbury Street. He asks the simple question

“One economic power steps boldly. Why can’t Harvard?”

Essential asking that if Nestle’s Nespresso coffee stores can open at least 10 and up to 20 locations in North America over the next 2 years, why can’t Harvard complete their science complex?

While that argument might be a little weak, especially since Nestle and Harvard have totally different products and balance sheets, the fact does underline a really good point: That Harvard really needs to look beyond the next year or so when making important decisions. Not to mention the fact that we have come to expect leadership and guidance from the best and brightest companies and institutions around us.

The bottom line is certainly Harvard needs this space to continue their growth in important science areas, and despite the economy, that needs isn’t going away. In fact, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), even more funds are available for basic science research right this very minute. While obviously the Science Complex wouldn’t be able to utilize these specific funds, the funding of basic science is projected to double over the next ten years under this administration, so it would only make sense to capitalize on that by building space to complete more research.

I’m sure if coffee sales were projected to double over the next ten years, Nestle would be opening a lot more than 10-20 coffee shops in North America…

(1) Boston Globe Magazine Article on Harvard

(2) http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/technology/

Carrot or Stick - Which will Harvard Respond To Best?

So Matt and I went over to the Allston Brighton Neighborhood North forum (ABNNF) Meeting last Thursday, where City Councilor, and candidate for Mayor,  Sam Yoon came to address the group. To join the group, check out their google group page here. (1) The ABNNF has invited all three candidates for Mayor to our meetings, and I really appreciate the fact that Mr. Yoon took the time to attend. I certainly hope to see the other candidates there at our next meeting.

These meetings are really fantastic, and show the kind of power even a small number of residents can have when, despite our different jobs, backgrounds, and generations, we unite around a common cause. To hear the stories of those who have lived in the neighborhood for many generations, to those who have just moved in recently, was really heartening.  It was also striking that despite our differences, we all had pretty much the same list of complaints against Harvard.

While the development process was still of top concern to the residents, what also came up several times was the work stoppage of the Science Complex, and how to best handle Harvard. Of course, someone asked Mr. Yoon this question, how would his administration handle Harvard differently, if elected? His response was focused around building relationships and asking Harvard the question “What do they think they owe the neighborhood? I bet nobody ever asked them this question before.” While I do think Mr. Yoon had some very good, and technically correct points, I think he is failing to understand the situation fully.

I would contend that a future strategy focused around improving “relationships” with Harvard is not a complete strategy. Relationships can only truly work if both parties are on near equal footing. In other words, Harvard clearly has many weapons in their arsenal, the most potent of which I argue would be holding onto 1 Million+ square feet of vacant RE that they pay no taxes on, and which they can choose to not develop forever if they desired. Thats a big stick, and I am not aware of any way in which the city of Boston can force them to do anything about it.

Good or bad relationships aside, if Harvard decides they don’t want to spend a billion dollars, who is going to force them exactly? So back to the point, Boston also needs a stick, some weapon at their disposal, that while it doesn’t have to be used, could at least be an equal threat to Harvard to get them to take us more seriously. Just as the mutually assured destruction doctrine of the Cold War probably did more to keep both the US and the USSR safe than any other political move of either side, it was only because each side was near equal that they were forced to fight a war of words, ideas, and relationships. Because both parties had a big stick, and both really understood that the other side could use it if they desired, it FORCED them into talks, into a relationship, that while strained at many times, eventually led to a positive outcome. In game theory, this is also called a Nash Equilibrium (2), and essential it means that in any situation no player can do better by unilaterally changing their decision. We are clearly NOT in a Nash Equilibrium right now, but we need to find a way into one soon.

The problem we are now faced with is that Harvard has an enormous stick, and the residents and the city of Boston can really only pound our proverbial chest and complain about it. We really can’t force Harvard to do much of anything (if I’m wrong here, and I hope I am, please let me know). Through the BRA we can regulate what they CAN build. But we cannot force them to start building anything. In my opinion, and based on historical observations, I do not think this is a problem solved solely by building better relationships or by asking Harvard what they think they owe the neighborhood. There is just too much at stake for both sides. This is a time for Boston to develop a stick of their own.

Luckily, there are many possibilities. Why settle with the status quo? There are various laws and regulations that Harvard now takes for granted, and that as residents (and really as registered voters) that we could modify to positively affect our community. I really want to start by questioning everything we currently take for granted. Such as:

Why is one of the largest land owners in Boston (and Cambridge) Tax Exempt, forever?

And

Being tax exempt, why is Harvard’s endowment not subject to minimum spending requirements like tax exempt foundations, which must spend 5% of their endowment annually (3)?

I’m sure these special regulations were originally put in place to benefit the communities around them, because encouraging education and higher learning were a benefit to everyone. However, there is no reason that these laws should not be reconsidered in light of current situations. In fact, several state senators were considering this, and its time we should too (4).  When Harvard is more of an adversary to the community, and decides it doesn’t have to really take the community’s best interests to heart, then its time we remind them that they are receiving special treatment from the community, and that we can take it away. Once the residents and Boston are on equal footing with Harvard, and they can both really affect each other, only THEN we can focus on building relationships. Without near equal footing at the bargaining table, Harvard has little reason to take us seriously.

(1) ABNNF Home Page

(2) Nash Equilibrium

(3) NY Times article explaining complicated Foundation Tax Law

(4) Boston Globe Article discussing Potential Tax on College Endowments

How hard is it to spend $261?

I got the letter from Michael Flaherty that was mentioned on the Allston Brighton Community Blog (1).  According to Mr. Flaherty Harvard still has $28 billion in its endowment up from $9 billion in 1997.  They could pay for the Science Center with cash and it would only take 3.6% of their current endowment.  For the median American household that’s like spending $261 (1).  Honestly we’d be happy if Harvard spent far less than $1 billion on the rental properties they own and on efforts to lease them.  Maybe they should move some money from imaginary bucket number 1 into imaginary bucket number 2 and placate us and their students (3).

(1) http://allston02134.blogspot.com/2009/03/keeping-our-promises.html

(2) $45,016 (median US household income) * 16.1% (average US savings rate) * 3.6% ($1 billion/$28 billion)

Support local business next Saturday 4/18

The best way to revitalize our neighborhood is to have both a thriving residential and commercial community.  Right now we have a pretty solid residential community, but the business community has suffered under the seemingly arbitrary plans of Harvard.  Having said that there are still a number of new and growing business in Allston.  Let’s all try to support them next Saturday (see repost below).

==

Repost:

North Allston/Brighton Fair:
Support Local Businesses, Celebrate our Community!
Saturday, April 18, 2009

Celebrate the beginning of spring, and our wonderful neighborhood, too!

Shop at your local businesses for great deals, samples and entertainment!
Supporting local shops will keep our community healthy and affordable.
Maps of participating businesses will be given out at the neighborhood
parks, starting at 11am.

Meet at Portsmouth Park or Smith Playground at 11am-5pm for Maps, Family
Activities, Picnics, Games, Music, and Fun! Bring instruments, food, and
sports equipment to share. This event is about neighborhood participation!

Volunteers: We are also looking for neighbors to get involved! We need
musicians to play music (music that doesn’t need amplification or
electricity) in the parks, and volunteers to help run kids games, sports
and other activities, plus anyone who’d like to help out by sharing the
flier with their neighbors.

Businesses or neighborhood organizations looking to get involved: please
call us at the number below, we’d love to have your participation.
Brought to you by the Allston/Brighton Neighborhood Assembly. Contact us
for questions, to volunteer and help out, or to get your business or
community group involved with the fair:

(617)-800-3176  ABNA@RiseUp.net
myspace.com/DefendAllstonBrighton