Nice.

&8212; click photo for larger image &8212;

Harvard University today released a sweeping plan to transform a 250-acre swath of Allston into an expanse of academic facilities, student housing and a new public square that officials said would be a twin to Cambridge's Harvard Square across the river, with a plaza, retail stores, theaters and a new art museum.

When the first 20-year phase of the project is finished, officials said it will include 4 to 5 million square feet of new building space and create at least 5,000 new jobs.

Oh, wait. I misread the story. I thought that Harvard was proposing to build this on Mars, not in Allston.

There's about as much chance they'll be able to complete it, after the neighborhood's NIMBYs get their say.

Awww, I'm just being sour and cynical, I know.

It is an exciting proposal, and I can't wait for it to happen. It's exactly the type of development we need within our city's borders. Bravo, Harvard, bravo.

Source: Harvard details Allston campus plan - By Donovan Slack, The Boston Globe