PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Dear Fellow Members,

By the end of March, spring will have begun and hopefully the weather will cooperate. Here at HCB, we are ready to kick off what will be an exciting spring season. As you review the Bulletin, please note the variety of social, intellectual and athletic activities that make our Club a place for fun and fellowship. Here are some notable dates to mark on your calendars:

• 3/9 – Harvard Housing Day

• 3/10 - Ivy League Basketball Tournament

• 3/14 - 25th Anniversary of the #16th seeded Crimson Women’s Basketball Team defeating #1 seeded Stanford in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament

• 3/25 - NCAA Hockey Tournament

• 3/30 – Red Sox Home Opener

IIt’s that time of year for Harvard elections, Harvard University Overseers and HAA Elected Directors. The voting period begins on March 31st and ends May 16th. The following HCB members are candidates for Overseer: Jeffrey D. Dunn A.B. ’77, M.B.A. ’81 and Vanessa W. Liu A.B. ’96, J.D. ’03. The following member is running for elected director: Anirudh Suri M.P.A. ’14, B.A. ’06, Haverford College; M.B.A. ’12, University of Pennsylvania. Click here for more information on the Harvard Elections

After nearly a year of public hearings and regulatory activity, I am pleased to share an update on the 415 Newbury Street development project. Trinity Financial, Inc. has filed a detailed response to its initial application and taken the next step in the complex application process with the BPDA (Boston Planning and Development Agency) to advance this project. We are pleased that in this filing Trinity has been able to incorporate so much feedback from our neighbors and the extensive public review over the past several months. We look forward to continued progress with the regulatory process. We anticipate that the City review will be completed sometime later this year and culminate in a BPDA vote on the project.

For those of you who don’t recall or are new to the club, last spring Trinity Financial, Inc informed the City of Boston of its proposal to build two residential structures (11 and 3 stories) with approximately 134 apartment homes and new facilities for the Club plus a parking structure for the Club’s use. This project, located on the parking lot footprint and in place of the current athletic building, allows the Harvard Club to conduct required, but costly accessibility upgrades. In addition, it offers us the opportunity to further modernize our facilities, with one of the buildings providing four floors of dedicated Harvard Club member and multi-use space, updated squash and fitness facilities, modern locker rooms, and new childcare space, among other amenities.

Over the past year, the requirements for large scale projects have changed and Trinity has reconfigured some details of the project to comply with these requirements. The project as proposed now consists of the same 11 and 3 story buildings and embedded parking structure, but the configuration has shifted to include approximately 95 apartment units in the 11-story tower and 38 mixed income condominium homes. This is, in part, Trinity’s response to the City’s requirement for mixed income accommodations in new construction projects and the changing nature of the market. The Steering Committee of the Club’s Facilities Planning Committee is communicating regularly with Trinity on their plans and will advise the Club’s Board on any final decisions facing the Club once the process is complete.

At this time, we expect that the proposed project will require several more months of review before going before the BPDA board for approval; if successfully approved, construction would potentially begin in 2024. The Harvard Club will use that time wisely to develop plans to address construction impacts on the Club, particularly as it relates to parking and athletic facilities. We are already exploring options for valet parking, partnerships with other facilities for access to sports and fitness spaces, and more. This project represents a critical opportunity to transform our clubhouse and make our facilities accessible to all our members and guests. You can be confident that any limited disruption will be overshadowed by the ultimate transformation.

The Steering Committee of the Club’s Facilities Planning Committee is communicating regularly with Trinity on their plans and will advise the Club’s Board on any final decisions facing the Club once the process is complete. For more detailed information on the latest Trinity filing, please go to this link on the BPDA website

Many thanks to all of you for choosing to be members of our beloved Club. Your loyalty and support make us thrive as a community, onward together. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact me directly via president@harvardclub.com.

Best regards,

Marcus O. P. DeFlorimonte gb ’95, pmd President, Harvard Club of Boston

Go Crimson!