Harvard University Construction Is Done. It Must Be A Dream

A regular meeting of the Cambridge Planning Board. Town gown meetings are held in the Senior Center.

Most recent prior entry on this repeating problem is at this link 
http://enoughroomvideo.blogspot.com/2014/06/fogg-museum-construction-continues.html?m=0

And one before that
http://enoughroomvideo.blogspot.com/2014/02/harvard-university-continues-deceiving.html

7:30 AM Wednesday July 16, 2014. Loud banging noise outside my window, which faces the new Harvard Art Museum, formerly the Fogg Museum. A few months ago at a town gown meeting with the City of Cambridge Planning Board, Harvard University's PR flacks announced, boasted that construction is done on the Museum project bringing relief to neighbors who endured three years of construction noise. Problem is that construction was not finished. The mitigation team told me they meant to say "outside" construction. But that was not, and is not done either. I used to attend those meetings and video tape them for city residents. I've seen how Harvard University's PR flacks stretch the truth just as well as the President's PR flacks mislead the nation. 

Video of 2008 Town Gown Harvard University presentation

http://enoughroomvideo.blogspot.com/2008/02/2008-town-gown-report-harvard.html

Previous discussions with the mitigation team requested (three times) that if it was necessary to park large noisy trucks on Broadway which is a "No Stopping" zone on both sides of Broadway, why can't they park on the museum side? Their usual first response is "Why are you the only one [who complains]?" I've seen trucks back into the driveway next to the former Sackler Museum and park on the museum side of Broadway. It can be done. Yes, they can. Cambridge police allow these repeated traffic violations, because they are Harvard University, which has a special constitutional exemption from complying with inconvenient laws. It is the same exemption enjoyed by Obama-Holder-Johnson in Washington DC. 

Example of how Harvard University spins their facts from 2007
http://enoughroomvideo.blogspot.com/2009/09/harvard-cgis-knafel-center.html
If not viewable on Google, use this link instead
https://vimeo.com/25049113

Nonetheless it is annoying and shows how arrogant Harvard University and their mitigation teams are. The last time they told me (as the PR flacks told city officials) that the construction is done, and that the museum is no longer the responsibility of the mitigation team.  Harvard University operations, which is the Harvard University campus police, is who I should call. They are even more abusive, if that is possible, than Harvard University Housing which ignores laws and tenants' rights every day. When I did call the operations officials, they told me to call the mitigation office. At many meetings with city officials Harvard University representatives make promises that they will perform one or another act in the future. But no one ever follows up to see if they do. It is why Harvard University is able to say anything at these meetings and no one ever checks to see if what they say is accurate. Just as the main stream media fails to ensure what the Obama-Holder-Johnson triumvirate says has any connection to reality. Oh wait. Did Obama attend Harvard Law School or something like that? 

So instead of wasting my time calling to any of the Harvard University employees wasting my energy, and not needing to be insulted any more by their omniscient employees, I decided to post these images for all to see how deceptive, misleading and abusive Harvard University is, with all of its money and all of its prestige. With all of its progressive credentials, generating politicians who led the nation into its current despair, cynicism and disgust, the most prominent university in America is no different than most corporations in the world. But Harvard University has a better image.


Metal pneumatic arms of the truck used to lift the dumpster seen below. You can see a Skanska construction employee wearing his bright Skanska vest. Skanska is the company which managed the three-year-$500 million renovation. 


Here is the dumpster which was dropped on Broadway next to the residential building, after construction was "done." Ahem! This is a "No Stopping" zone on Broadway


Here is the cab of the truck with its pneumatic lift arm showing.


The lift arms with the loading dock for the museum in the background. 


Skanska employee walking toward the museum. His vest says "Skanska."

Re-paving The Cambridge Street Tunnel

These images from June 27, 2014, show re-paving of the roadway of the tunnel from Cambridge Street and Broadway to Mass Avenue. It was done last summer, 2013, but the bonding agent was reportedly flawed. The cracks showed shortly after it was done. You can see how much of the work needs to be redone. It is reported that it will not cost the city taxpayers for the work.

New Broadway Lake Forms

Shortly after the rain storm ended on Thursday June 5, 2014, a new lake was formed on Broadway near the southeast corner with Quincy Street. This is new pavement and there is no place for the water which accumulates to run off. Will boating be allowed?



Small lake formed on Broadway, at Quincy Street.

Two Smaller Additional Entrances to Hades in Cambridge Opened

Due to unprecedented increased demand for quick entry to the underworld in Cambridge MA, Skanska Construction Corporation under direction of the City of Cambridge and Harvard Real Estate opened two new entrances to hell on Broadway less than one block from the previous additional entry point on Quincy Street.
These two were opened on March 30, 2012, so-called mini branch entrances connected to the larger one on Quincy Street opened on March 12-14, 2012.

See images at this link

http://enoughroomvideo.blogspot.com/2012/03/quincy-st-closed-three-days-new.html

The City Manager did not comment on inquiries about the cause of the continuing increased demand for easy access to hell. Religious leaders demand an answer to why students and members of the community are turning away from church teachings. Harvard University President Drew Gilpin Faust [Real name] announced the appointment of a new dean at the Divinity School.

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2012/3/31/divinity-school-dean-new/

New Harvard Divinity School Dean Announced
By MATTHEW M. BECK
Harvard CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Published: Saturday, March 31, 2012

CRLS Street Paving

Using US taxpayer funds from the various stimulus packages Cambridge is paving the streets around CRLS. Last month Cambridge Street was paved. Now it is Broadway. Westbound traffic on Broadway was diverted at Ellery Street. Felton Street was closed except for Harvard's garage. A landscaping vehicle with a trailer was parked on the walkway to the main library. These images captured on Thursday December 1, 2011.



Two machines used to smooth asphalt.



Only one lane of eastbound Broadway open.



More work on Ware Street,



Is this guy praying or working? He has two watchers in any case.



One bright red truck parked on the CRLS sidewalk.



Heavy duty equipment truck.



Trucks parked in the middle of Broadway. One lane for traffic.



Police detail at Ellery Street and Broadway diverting westbound traffic.



Signs for Trowbridge Street traffic at Broadway. Library is in background.



Landscaping vehicles on the library walkway.



Felton Street at Cambridge Street.

Completing Assembly of Fogg Crane Day 3

[Video made from all still images can be viewed at

http://enoughroomvideo.blogspot.com/2011/11/assembling-new-fogg-construction-crane.html

On the third day of the assembly of the main construction crane, three courageous Skanska employees walked out along the horizontal segment of the crane to attach cables and to untie guidelines. After assembling the main crane the support crane was taken down and away. Broadway was closed for the entire day as well as Prescott Street all two blocks of it. These images captured on Monday November 21, 2011.

[Earlier images of this operation can be seen at these links.]

http://enoughroomvideo.blogspot.com/2011/11/street-closings-for-harvard-crane.html

http://enoughroomvideo.blogspot.com/2011/11/assembling-main-fogg-museum.html

http://enoughroomvideo.blogspot.com/2011/11/assembling-fogg-construction-crane-day.html

The horizontal segment of the main Fogg construction crane was attached to a cable and the lifting began using the support crane on the side of Broadway.



Operator's cabin on right. Support crane cables connected to the horizontal bar in center. Support crane at left.



Skanska upper air crew waiting to attach horizontal segment.



Hook and cables to hoist the horizontal leg of the crane.



Three cranes with cables attached to the horizontal part of the crane beginning its rise.



Lift off of the fifty foot erector set leg.



Beginning of lift off.



Moving on up.



Higher.



Repositioning over Broadway.



Guideline held by ground crew in center of image.



Crossed erector set pieces flying high.



Upper air crew still waiting.



Moving closer.


Guideline can be seen on left side, cables of support crane, and cable attached to new horizontal addition.




Moving slowly into place.



Approaching upper air spacemen who will make attachments.



Guidelines, cables and no errors.



Moving slowly into place.



Almost in place.



Spacewalkers leave platform to work on new piece.



Spacewalkers move along the new piece attaching electrical control cables.



Moving out to center where support crane cables are still attached.



Attaching cables along the horizontal.



A third spacewalker joins the party.



Performing high wire act with no applause or paying audience.



Disconnecting the support crane cables.



Spacewalkers, cranes and cables.



Connecting and disconnecting high above Broadway.



Geometric figures in the sky.



All this done without MIT experts.



Smarter than Icarus, they hold on.



Celestial geometry over the Carpenter Center



Untying the guideline.



Complex knot.



It's gone.



Working closely as a team.



Three men on a crane, coming soon to a theater near you.



Are they testing this segment or just enjoying the view?



Putting cables in place.



Checking and rechecking.



Outside the operator's cabin high above the ground.



Four cranes in this image, partial at right of new crane.



Taking down the small crane.



Bringing the extensions home.



Horizontal segment in place.



Raising a new bar.



Higher and higher.



Almost there.



Getting close.



Arriving at the space platform.



Are these two cranes making out?



Dueling cranes high above the field.



Cranes, cables and erector set on display.



Small crane moved onto Broadway.



Opening it up again.


Sitting on Broadway for new work order.



Opening it up.



Swinging around toward the work site.



Another bar raising.



Raising the bar up high.



Taking down the support crane.



New piece works well. Swinging it around.



Slowly taking down the support crane.



Broadway remains closed to traffic.



Support crane on ground on Prescott Street.



Skyline without support crane.