The chief deterrent for many of Harvard’s transportation plans—which also include the creation of a canal from the river into Allston—would be a high cost, which has yet to be determined.

Many of the designs also hinge on whether or not the University succeeds in its acquisition of the Charlesview Apartments, the low-income housing that is currently located in the middle of Harvard’s Allston holdings.

“That’s the boomerang,” McGregor said. “If Charlesview decides to relocate.”

In response to questions about other parts of Harvard’s acreage in Allston, McGregor said the University has neither developed plans for its encumbered land nor generated designs for specific buildings in those areas.

“I can’t predict for you exactly what the buildings are going to look like, but obviously you should continue to monitor the process,” McGregor told the community residents.

—Staff Writer Natalie I. Sherman can be reached at nsherman@fas.harvard.edu.