Cambridge Wants More Than Harvard’s Money

For nearly 400 years, Harvard has been largely exempt from paying property taxes — instead making voluntary payments that city officials now say no longer reflect the University’s scale or wealth. As negotiations over a new PILOT agreement stretch into a third year, Cambridge leaders and residents are questioning what Harvard owes the city: not just in dollars, but in housing, public services, and civic partnership.

As Decades-Long Land Grab Slows, Here's How Harvard's Developments Are Shaping Allston

For decades, Harvard’s expansion into Allston has transformed the neighborhood — quietly reshaping its streets, housing, and identity as the University has come to own most of its land. As the University slows its land acquisitions and pivots to complete long-running developments, residents are left weighing the promises of investment against the costs of institutional growth.

In Letter to Garber, Nuns Allege Arboretum Director Has ‘Troubling Pattern’ of Opposing Developments

The Poor Clare Nuns wrote to Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 alleging that Arboretum Director Ned Friedman has spent nearly two years blocking their monastery redevelopment — while waving through a project tied to Harvard Medical School.

Harvard Outlines Development, Sustainability Efforts in 29th Annual ‘Town Gown’ Report

Harvard officials on Tuesday outlined the University’s latest development and sustainability initiatives in Cambridge and Allston as part of the 29th annual Town Gown report, with a renewed focus on decarbonization and campus renovations.

Cambridge Gears Up To Install Bike Lanes Near Sanders Theatre, Science Center

Cambridge is rolling out its plans for bike lanes along Quincy St. and Kirkland St., a long-awaited project set to start construction this spring.

As Cambridge Faces a Life Sciences Downturn, Startups Turn to a New Industry: Warfare

As biotech firms shed jobs and life sciences funding dries up, policymakers have started to see defense technology as a way to buttress the Massachusetts economy. Industry experts say Cambridge may become one of the nation’s fastest-growing hubs for defense and national security startups.

Conference Center, Hotel on Harvard’s Enterprise Research Campus To Officially Open to Public in January

The Atlas Hotel and Treehouse Conference Center at Harvard’s Enterprise Research Campus will formally open in January, confirming Harvard’s vision for entrepreneurship and STEM research amid its continuous expansion into Allston.

Lilly Havstad Wants to ‘Flip the Script’ in Run for School Committee

In a crowded field of eighteen candidates for Cambridge’s School Committee, six are educators and ten currently have kids in the district. Lilly Havstad is both — and thinks that her perspective is exactly what the School Committee needs to rebuild parents’ and educators’ trust.

Tech Experts See Artificial Intelligence as a Key Resource Ahead of Local Elections

Schneier and Sanders, a Harvard Kennedy School lecturer, co-authored the book “Rewiring Democracy” that was released on Oct. 21. The two appeared at a Cambridge Public Library panel to share more about how citizens can use AI to get involved in politics on Wednesday evening.

Head of the Charles Boats Bring Bank for Harvard Square Businesses

The Head of the Charles Regatta brings hundreds of thousands of spectators and more than 11,000 athletes to the banks of the Charles River. But they don’t stay there — many venture into Harvard Square for food, shopping, and entertainment, bringing an annual explosion of consumer activity to local businesses.

Cambridge Historical Commission Allows Harriet Jacobs House Remodel to Continue

The Cambridge Historical Commission hesitantly voted to allow the redevelopment of the Harriet Jacobs House on Thursday, on the condition that developers continue to meet with the CHC to address “clear concerns” from neighbors over the proposed height and size.

Amid Uncertainties for Boston PILOT, Harvard Fails To Fulfill Payment for 13th Year

Harvard failed to fully make its requested Payment in Lieu of Taxes payment for the 13th year in a row last year, according to City of Boston data released last week.

With Harvard’s Funding Under Threat, City Manager Says Cambridge Is Ready To Wait Out the Storm

For nearly a century, Cambridge has asked Harvard to increase its Payment in Lieu of Taxes — never questioning whether its most powerful tenant would be able to pay. But as the Trump administration threatens the University’s federal funding, Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang ’05 said the city recognizes that times are changing.

Cambridge Joins 250th Celebrations of Lexington and Concord on Patriots’ Day

The City of Cambridge celebrated Patriots’ Day with a reenactment of William Dawes’s 1775 horseback ride on its 250th anniversary, celebrating the nation’s founding while reflecting on current turmoil in Washington.

City Leaders Increase Pressure on Harvard To Reject Trump With New Petition

Harvard’s leadership is used to handling demands from its faculty and students. But with the Trump administration’s latest threats, the University is feeling pressure from its hometown, too.

‘A Nice Send-Off Concert:’ HRO Performs For Students, Teachers At K-Lo

This year, the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra has performed orchestral masterpieces, from Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11 to excerpts from Gustav Holst’s “The Planets.” Now, the ensemble can add the viral Russian meme song “Sigma Sigma Boy” to their repertoire.

Allston Residents, Elected Officials Ask for More Benefits from Harvard’s 10-Year Plan

As Harvard finalizes its Institutional Master Plan in Allston, residents and elected officials called on the University to fulfill its previous promises and increase contributions to the Boston neighborhood.

Advocates Raise Concerns As Boston PILOT Report Remains Unreleased

While property taxes comprise nearly three quarters of Boston’s revenue, nonprofits are exempt from paying this tax. Instead, the PILOT program asks large non-profits to voluntarily pay a portion of what they would have otherwise paid in property taxes. The 2024 report on contributions has yet to be released.

Harvard Nears Construction Milestones in Allston Amid Development Boom

Harvard is soon to bring hundreds of new housing units online in Allston as the University approaches several major construction milestones in its long-running expansion across the river.

‘A Complicated Marriage’: Cambridge Calls on Harvard to Increase Optional PILOT Payments

The city of Cambridge called on Harvard to increase their optional municipal payments at a city council meeting Monday night — after failing to reach a new agreement with the University by the end-of-year deadline.

Harvard, Cambridge Fail To Reach New PILOT Agreement by End-of-Year Deadline

Harvard and the city of Cambridge have missed their end-of-year deadline for renegotiating Harvard’s Payment in Lieu of Taxes program, which replaces a portion of the property taxes that the University is otherwise exempt from paying.

Harvard Files 10-Year Master Plan for Allston, Kicking Off Next Phase of Negotiations

Harvard filed its 2025-2035 Institutional Master Plan for its Allston campus on Tuesday, officially marking the next phase of negotiations with Boston officials over the University’s planned decade of development.

The Fight to Preserve Harriet Jacobs’ Legacy in Cambridge

A historical preservation committee wants to maintain the home of a formerly enslaved woman as a memorial and museum. The owner wants to build a boutique hotel. It’s a tenuous marriage.

Cambridge Half Marathon + 5K

Harvard Arnold Arboretum Renames Bussey Street to Flora Way in Honor of Enslaved Woman

Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum formally renamed Bussey Street — named after a merchant whose wealth came from slave-produced goods — to Flora Way at an unveiling ceremony Saturday.