Sitting in the shadow of Harvard's Peabody Terrace, Mahoney's Garden Center regularly boasts a full parking lot and a continuously-ringing cash register.

"There's something about this place, even though it's a private business, that makes it feel like a public space," one regular says. "It's like our little neighborhood botanical garden."

But although Mahoney's has no lack of business and recently renewed its lease until the spring of 2003, its landlord--the neighboring Harvard University--has made it clear that Mahoney's will not be a permanent fixture on Harvard land, prompting some residents to organize against University development.

Over the past year, Harvard has targeted Mahoney's Garden Center as the site of a proposed modern art museum along the Charles River, presenting residents with plans for a building to be designed by world-famous architect Renzo Piano.

But last October, the discussion process slowed when the City Council passed the Loose Moratorium, a resident petition to halt development for 18 months in the Riverside neighborhood.

Many residents voiced strong opposition to forcing Mahoney's out of the neighborhood, saying Harvard should not further encroach into resident's back yards.

Now, six months later, the University is returning to Riverside, ready to reopen discussions on development but sticking to their guns and insisting they will be taking over of the property in the near future.

Back to the Table

Tomorrow at the Martin Luther King Jr. School in Riverside, discussions between the city of Cambridge, Harvard officials and Riverside residents will begin in the form of a study committee to look into planning and development issues in the Riverside neighborhood.

The 17-member study committee commissioned by the city will examine growth and development issues in the already-congested area, ranging from traffic impact to environmental concerns--and most importantly, the University's future presence in the area.

Travis McCready, Harvard's director of community relations for Cambridge, will serve on the committee, which will also include 15 residents as well as a representative of a local community center.

Cob Carlson, a Riverside resident who will serve on the committee, says the study is needed to give residents input on how development occurs in Riverside.