“There’s an awful lot of secrecy. We don’t know what’s in the back of their mind and what they plan on doing,” says Kelliher. “The neighborhood doesn’t trust Harvard, which is a shame because they’ve done a lot of good, but they put that element of doubt in our minds.”

CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM

After decades of frustration, some residents say the reason they are hesitant to believe that Harvard’s plans will finally be realized is because many questions remain unanswered.

“Will [Barry’s Corner] just be a dormitory type structure where relatively short-term people stay? Or will it be an extension of the community, an opportunity for new people and families to come together and be part of the Allston community?” Whelan says.

Kelliher echoed Whelan’s sentiments, saying, “They [representatives of the University] constantly came back to us, but they haven’t paid much attention to our suggestions. It’s still up in the air about what’s going there.”

Residents also say they do not want to see high-rise buildings, and hope that any new construction will be neighborhood friendly.

Looking at what Barry’s Corner is today, some residents say they feel any developments on the two-acre plot of land will be an improvement.

“Anything is better than an empty lot,” DiGesse says. “I think that the land is not totally utilized, it’s under-utilized and it’s been that way for a long time.”

But despite hardships in the past and fraught relations with the University, some residents add they feel the housing developments will benefit the community.

“I just hope everything will be good,” McCall says. “I just hope for the best for everyone.”

—Staff writer Nathalie R. Miraval can be reached at nmiraval@college.harvard.edu

­—Staff writer Rebecca D. Robbins can be reached at rrobbins@college.harvard.edu