Harvard Makes Its Pitch For Ex-Red Line Tunnel

Harvard has expressed an interest in buying an unused portion of the MBTA Red Line under Eliot Street. The proposal to use the currently abandoned space as a parking lot is pending approval from both the MBTA and the Cambridge City Council.

With the recent construction towards Porter Square on the Red Line, a length of tunnel originally used to move trolley cars from storage yards to the main line has been blocked off, said Kathy Spiegelman, Harvard's associate director for urban planning and community affairs. Sole access to this site is from the Kennedy School of Government.

After inquiring whether the MBTA would grant Harvard use of the tunnel, they found that the city also held rights to the tunnel, Spiegelman said. "Are the city and the MBTA willing to assign their rights to Harvard?" is the first question, she said.

Harvard formally submitted their proposal to the city last month, Spiegelman said. It was brought before the city council on their March 31st meeting by City Manager Robert Healy.

"The MBTA has been very supportive," Spiegelman said. "The city has not." The city has referred the issue to the Cambridge Planning Board, a committee made up of local residents. Their findings will then be given to the city manager, who will determine the city's decision.

Parking needs around Harvard are always very controversial, Spiegelman said. Since the empty space lies underneath the Kennedy School, Harvard seems to be the only agency that could really use it, she added.

According to an earlier statement by Healy, Harvard's proposal would create 67 parking spaces.

Although converting the tunnel would be expensive, it would be less expensive than building an above ground parking lot, Spiegelman said. To help finance the project, Harvard has proposed making the parking spaces available on a commercial basis for 10 years, she said. Following the 10 year period, the parking spaces would be used exclusively by the Kennedy School.

In the city council meeting, Healy said that under the offer Harvard would agree to coordinate its work in the tunnel with city work realigning and reconstructing Eliot street.

"I see no practical reasons why the city and the MBTA wouldn't agree to the proposal," Spiegelman said. "Otherwise the tunnel would be covered up and not used at all."

"This is an unusual situation because there are so many parties involved," Spiegelman said. "It is also not like a standard land purchase, because this process is all underground."