Parking impacts during Eliot House renewal project
Beginning Monday, June 9, the next phase of undergraduate House Renewal will begin. Eliot House will be taken offline for full renovations. The project is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2027.
Please refer to the Harvard Construction Mitigation notice and map for further details. Eliot Triangle permit holders affected by the relocation will be notified individually.
Thank you for your continued cooperation during this time. If you have any questions or concerns, please email the Campus Service Center at parking@harvard.edu or by phone at (617) 496-7827.
Eliot House Renovation
The scope of the project consists of exterior restoration, including new roofs, rebuilding chimneys, dormers, and repointing the brick facade, as well as full interior renovations to construct new student dormitory and staff units, with updated plumbing, HVAC, telephone/data, fire alarm and fire protection systems, and structural improvements. The project will also improve the building’s overall accessibility.
Community Impacts
- Scaffolding will be erected on all sides of the building from the ground level to the roof.
- Fencing with scrim will be installed around the perimeter of Eliot House.
- The contractor’s job site trailer will be positioned inside a fenced-in area across from Standish Hall.
- Fencing will feature signage and lighting, providing directional guidance and visibility.
- Pedestrian access on JFK Street will be maintained throughout the duration of the project.
- Two construction vehicle-only access points will be established off Memorial Drive.
- Pedestrian access on the north side of Memorial Drive will be restricted and re-routed to the sidewalk on the river side of the roadway.
- A temporary crosswalk will be installed on Memorial Drive with traffic lights/signals and signage will be in place to provide guidance for safety.
- Dunster Street will be converted into a two-lane road at Mt Auburn Street to support the addition of construction vehicles, and the existing metered parking spaces along Dunster between Mt Auburn and South Street will be removed to accommodate the new traffic pattern.
- Construction vehicles will enter and exit the site by way of Dunster Street, the two gates off Memorial Drive, and via the loading dock located between Eliot and Kirkland House.
- To support Harvard Dining Services during construction, a temporary kitchen trailer will be positioned on Dunster Street within the job site fence.
- Any detours beyond those described above will be kept to a minimum duration and will be communicated in advance and coordinated closely with the City of Cambridge and all stakeholders.
- In addition to the presence of work crews, neighbors can anticipate that the work between 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. will generate some perceptible noise due to the construction equipment necessary to renovate the building, including cranes, excavators, jackhammers, boom lifts, and power tools.
- Police details will be on site as needed to assist with vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic.