University To Refuse Offers On Land Rent

If the MTA turns down Harvard's bid and sells the Bennett St. yards to a private developer, the University would be willing to buy land but not to lease it, L. Gard Wiggins, administrative vice-president, told the CRIMSON Wednesday.

Wiggins said the reason for this policy is that the University would not get a tax exemption for a building on leased land.

All three of the private bidders have announced that they would in some way or other make part of the land available for University use. But John Briston Sullivan has restricted himself to giving Harvard the land on a lease basis or not at all.

Neither Samuel P. Coffman nor Francis J. Roche have made specific comments about the terms they would be willing to consider, but at a meeting of the City Council on Monday, Roche mentioned the possibility of seeking a lease arrangement.

Two days ago, Coffman issued a statement on his plans for the yards, but it did not include any reference to the University. In essence, the statement said that he would pay whichever was greater: $6.5 million or $2.3 million plus the cost of relocation. Previously, he had only said he would pay $2.3 million plus the cost of relocation, putting no minimum level on his bid.

Wiggins reaffirmed Wednesday that if the person who eventually gets control of the Bennett St. yards would like to sell (or give) part of the land to Harvard, "we would be glad to listen to anything he has to say."