In a speech given to doctors at Beth Israel-Deaconess Medical Center last month, Summers introduced his own vision for Boston’s biomedical area which stressed community cooperation and expansion, as did Menino’s.

“Harvard is increasingly recognizing its obligation to the broader community,” Summers said then. “I am convinced that the next Silicon Valley, with all that it means and all that it brings, will happen in the biomedical area. . . . I believe that can be, should be, and will be here in the Boston area.”

Discussing Menino’s inaugural remarks, Harvard officials said that the mayor was referring not to Harvard-owned buildings, but to facilities affiliated with Harvard, such as hospitals in which faculty members teach or labs in which Harvard researchers conduct biomedical and biotechnology research.

“Research is done by Harvard faculty, but the institutions are not owned by Harvard,” said Harvard Medical School spokesperson Donald L. Gibbons. “The mayor was talking generically about the research enterprise.”

However, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Joseph B. Martin has been in discussion with Menino about such expansion and development.

“The mayor and Dean Martin have been talking about the composition of some kind of task force to consider future development,” said Eric Buehrens, associate dean for planning at HMS.

Although this was Menino’s first statement that Harvard should take a role in the proposed Crosstown medical development, the issue of expanding Harvard-affiliated biotechnology facilities has long been a topic of discussion between Harvard and Boston.

“We have talked about trying to increase biotechnology and biomedical research for the past few years, what makes sense to do here in Longwood and what to do in the Crosstown area of Roxbury,” Gibbons said.

The Crosstown proposal is only the start of what could be a long process toward development.

“Obviously it would be a potentially huge project,” Buehrens said. “The community obviously needs to be consulted very carefully.”

Although Menino specifically addressed Summers in his address, the Harvard president was not present at the mayor’s inauguration. McCluskey and Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs Alan J. Stone attended the event as representatives of Harvard. McCluskey cited Summers’ busy schedule as the reason for his absence.

—Staff writer Stephanie M. Skier can be reached at skier@fas.harvard.edu.