But moving into Allston is not without its complications. The School of Public Health has had a presence in Longwood since 1913 and its own building in the area since 1923, a history that faculty members say complicates the possibility of moving.

Dockery says that, over the years, the School of Public Health has also developed “very strong connections” with the neighboring Medical School.

“I think we’re torn,” he says.

Professor Alberto Ascherio expressed a similar opinion in an email.

“Because of our close connections with the Harvard Medical School, I would prefer to remain in the medical area,” Ascherio wrote.

Professor of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics John Quackenbush says that moving the campus to Allston might be a disadvantage to those who have appointments in the Medical School and could reduce the amount of time faculty members spend in the department.

“I understand all the constraints and the reasons why you might want to move out there,” Quackenbush says. “I know that our department is really tight and constrained to space, but I don’t think that’s unique to our department or to the School of Public Health.”

Bloom says that academic concerns outweigh spacial considerations and that if the move were to happen it would have to fit the School’s overall development and academic missions.

“You can build a building anywhere but it doesn’t make an intellectual community,” says Bloom.

He says that when he was considering the move before the onset of the financial crisis, he was hesitant. He worried that relocating to Allston would have meant losing access to “a third or half of my faculty,” who he says would have been resistant to the move and remained in Boston.

Regardless of whether the School moves to Allston, Frenk says that the School plans to always keep “a strong, major presence in Longwood.”

“It’s a complicated move,” Bloom said. “It isn’t just packing up.”

—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.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction.

CORRECTION: NOV. 7, 2011

The Nov. 7 article "School of Public Health Looks to Expand in Allston" incorrectly stated that a potential relocation by the School of Public Health to Allston would involve a move across the Charles River. In fact, Allston and the School of Public Health are located on the same side of the Charles.