Especially troublesome to neighborhood residents was Harvard's admission that classrooms in the center could be used by the extension school during the evenings. Many characterize the current parking situation as uncomfortably tight and argue that any increase in traffic--whether from night students or dignitaries visiting one of the international study centers--would be intolerable.
"Living in this area during rush hour is like living in a motorcade," one resident said. "Even minimal changes will have an enormous impact on the neighborhood."
A number of neighbors came forward with suggestions for changes they said would make the building less intrusive to the neighborhood--modifications like moving the entrance of the south building from Prescott Street to Cambridge Street and increasing the building's distance from the nearest apartment.
But according to one resident, the fact that neighbors are suggesting alterations does not mean they have become any more accepting of Harvard's plan to build the center in their neighborhood.
"Everyone can come up with things that might make it better, but that still doesn't mean that anyone wants it at all," he said.