“I’d much prefer to see Law School buildings than to see hazardous material labs in the neighborhood,” said Agassiz resident Carol Weinhaus. “That’s better suited to the nature of the community.”

HLS professors have reportedly been averse to making an across-the-river move, and several Harvard heads nodded in support of Weinhaus’ comment that HLS should stay.

“Maybe after all the central administration people left we could make a deal,” Kagan quipped, to the laughter of the Agassiz residents.

Another set of HLS dorms—those created nearly 50 years ago by the father of modern architecture, Walter Gropius—provoked much criticism from both the community and HLS representatives, but the landmark status of the buildings means, according to city law, they cannot be touched.

“They are sort of an albatross for us, but we’re stuck with them,” Meltzer said.

One Cambridge resident said that though the dorms were created by a famous architect, they should be torn down.

“Gropius is long dead and his creation is no monument to him,” said Hernyk Ryniewicz.

Harvard’s Senior Director of Community Relations Mary H. Power moderated the meeting.

—Staff writer Lauren R. Dorgan can be reached at dorgan@fas.harvard.edu.