University News | December 6, 2019

Harvard Square under reconstruction

A familiar place’s new faces

From The January-February 2020 Issue

Photograph of major construction projects in Harvard Square — Photograph by Jim Harrison

Returning visitors may find themselves disoriented as familiar haunts undergo major makeovers, shown here in mid November. The triangle between JFK and Brattle Streets (foreground) is being rebuilt as a high-end retail mall. The offices over Brattle (plywooded windows to the rear), also in new ownership, are being renovated. And Out of Town News has closed.

Published in the January-February 2020 print issue under the headline “Restructuring Harvard Square,” in the John Harvard's Journal section.

You might also like

Modern building surrounded by trees and a blue sky with fluffy white clouds.

Harvard will rename the building following a $100 million gift from Stuart Zimmer ’91.

Massachusetts Hall at Harvard Red brick building with a large clock on top, surrounded by green trees.

With a grade inflation vote and in the courts, the University argued that it’s taking steps to change.

Vibrant urban scene at dusk featuring a mural on a building and illuminated structures.

The Goel Center in Allston will open for performances in the fall of 2026.

Most popular

A blue refrigerator covered with animal pictures, notes, and drawings, surrounded by greenery.

An animal’s journey from grief to love shows how much humans need each other, too.

Construction site featuring tall concrete structures, cranes, and a blue sky with clouds.

Pritzker Hall, designed for collaboration, should be complete in 2027.

Soccer player and goalkeeper Matt Freese standing in front of the net

The former economics concentrator brings his talent for crunching numbers to netminding.

Explore More From Current Issue

Two figures stand before a large, colorful pixelated face against a yellow background.

Research

Harvard scientists identify hundreds of genes under selective pressure.

A woman with long hair stands confidently with crossed arms next to a pickup truck.

Alumni Profiles

In her memoir All That's Unseen, Emilee Hackney explores religion, friendship, and home.

Singer performing on stage with a guitar, wearing a hat, and surrounded by band instruments.

Arts & Culture

Singer Elisa Smith’s whiskey-soaked voice and subversive feminism is part of the genre’s urban shift.