Ed School Acquires Land Site for New Library

Graduate School of Education has acquired more than an acre of land near Larsen Hall for the construction of its new $3.8 million library.

The University bought the site from Radcliffe for approximately $650,000. In addition, Harvard has offered Radcliffe an option to buy nearly two acres of land on Observatory Hill, across from the Cliffe Quad.

Long rumored as the site for the new library, the Radcliffe tract is bounded by Brattle St., Appian Way, and Farewell Place. Design Research is one of the buildings included within the area.

Construction on the new library could not begin for at least a year; an architect is expected to be appointed by late spring or early summer, and the Ed School will apply within a few days for a $1.25 million federal grant to support construction costs. The Ed School will soon begin a fund drive to raise the rest of the money.

The transaction to acquire the library site rests on an agreement that Harvard and Radcliffe made in 1961. In that agreement, Harvard recognized that Radcliffe had an interest in the land on Observatory Hill, and Radcliffe did the same for Harvard on the Appian Way-Brattle St. site.

$500,000

Under the purchase agreement worked out a few days ago, Harvard set a price of $500,000 for the land on Observatory Hill and gave Radcliffe until Jan. 1, 1969 to exercise its option.

It was not clear last night whether Radcliffe would buy the land. J. Boyd Britton, administrative vice-president, said "it's a very strategic piece of land" because of its location opposite the projected fourth house. He declined to say, however, what Radcliffe might build on the site, or to speculate on the chances that the college would actually make the purchase. President Bunting could not be reached for comment.

Several years ago a building for seminar and tutorial rooms was reportedly planned for the Observatory Hill area but these facilities are included in the new Radcliffe Library, now under construction.

Additional dormitory space may be the most logical use of the land, several sources said last night. They said that Radcliffe is harder-pressed financially than Harvard, and that this would probably be a factor in any future development plans.