Harvard Square Business Association Inc

Filing Period

Jan 1, 2012 to Dec 31, 2012

Signed

Feb 5, 2013

Return Version

2012v2.0

Gross Receipts

$567,545

Mission

Major Activities

Activity 2

In 2012, the association held its 34th annual oktoberfest celebration which had estimated attendance of over 150,000 visitors during the 6 hour period. Our hope is that people of all ages have a great time, visit our stores, eat in our restaurants and remember the square fondly so that they come back as a frequent visitor. We also hope that they tell all their friends to do the same. The program strategy seems to be working. We had not seen the failure of our businesses which is a viable determinant for us to use, in addition to our vacancy rate. The square is approximately 96% occupied and our membership continues to grow; we are currently enjoying a membership of over 400, of which, 80% are locally-owned independent businesses.

Activity 3

The association's third major program service accomplishment includes the enhancement of the world recognized and beloved urban space commonly known as the out of town news kiosk area. The association contracted with ann krsul, an urban planner/architect to look at the area of harvard square.in continuation of recent successful collaborations between the city of cambridge, harvard university, business owners, residents and the mbta, it is appropriate that we extend our efforts to update the infrastructure of harvard square. What began in 1998 with a strategic plan for competitive advantage and asset preservation in harvard square, and was further advanced in the 2005-2006 harvard square initiative, has thoughtfully enhanced the public experience of the square. With the mbta elevator project at the head house about to begin, it is an ideal time to examine the heart of harvard square, the entire mbta plaza. The primary goal of this plan is to continue to use this world-recognized and beloved urban space as a meeting place while enhancing its communal features and uses. This includes honoring the tradition of street performance, preserving our historic and iconic kiosk, improving pedestrian safety and access, increasing open space and greenery, and adding state-of-the art information technology. The convergence of the new elevator project and the 100th anniversary of the harvard square t station (march 23, 1912) provide a perfect opportunity to take a holistic approach to the design of the harvard red line subway station, the out of town news kiosk, and the pit. These are significant spaces in harvard square. This proposed design attempts to both mark and make the place a new with architectural elements thereby encouraging people to interact, linger, and be more dynamically engaged in this urban landmark.the roof of the red line subway head house and the adjacent pit provides an opportunity to increase vantage points from which to view street performances. We propose transforming the head house into a transparent raked roof canopy with stadium seating. The stair treads or horizontal benches would be made of reinforced concrete so that the structure appears to float. It could have glass railings, risers, and walls to advance the notion of transparency and lightness.atop the tiered seating could be a double-sided led display screen that wraps the corner to allow multiple viewing angles. The screen can project the time and news, as well as images of the activity in the pit, broadening the viewing audience for events or performances in the pit. The removal of stone obstructions and enlarging the sunken area of the pit would open up the performance space. This would create longer perimeter steps for more seating and planters filled with sustainable varieties of greenery. We propose reusing the bricks in the plaza, as practical. The historic out of town news kiosk, a traditional gathering spot for visitors, was the former subway entrance. This design seeks to transform the kiosk to be the dispenser of news and information in the 21st century, via digital means.these activities directly relate to our mission of promoting commerce in harvard square, while being good stewards.

Filer

EIN

04-2647383