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.
Read more in News
Harvard BriefsRecommended Articles
-
Residents Blast Art Museum PlansA proposed Harvard modern art museum to be built on the current site of the Mahoney's Garden Center came under
-
Residents Split Over Museum ProposalIn a heated two-hour meeting Wednesday night, Cambridge residents took on Harvard's community relations officers, loudly criticizing the University's plans
-
Locals Support Halt of Riverside DevelopmentThe Cambridge City Council voiced unanimous support for a moratorium on development in the Cambridge Riverside neighborhood, potentially delaying Harvard's
-
City Halts Development By the Charles RiverThe City Council formally approved a moratorium on development in the Riverside neighborhood, delaying Harvard's plans for a museum on
-
Forge Ahead With Art MuseumOf all the neighborhoods that ring Harvard’s Cambridge campus, few have suffered from the University’s ugly and misguided building schemes
-
High Hopes, But Slow ProgressFew long-time Cambridge denizens think Harvard is an ideal neighbor, despite its wealth of resources. But in spite of the