July 24, 1997

A neighborhood eyesore may get a few drops of Visine later this year when developers plan to begin renovating the former Harvard Manor Nursing Home into a 22-bed "assisted-living" facility for low-income senior citizens.

The former nursing home, now a boarded-up, vacant building at 273 Harvard St., shut down in 1993. The city foreclosed for back taxes and after a bid process, selected CASCAP to re-develop the property.

CASCAP, a Cambridge-based non-profit, expects to obtain necessary variances from the board of zoning appeals and begin renovations by the end of the year. The target occupancy date for what will be called "Harvard Place" is next fall. The first step will be to demolish the stucco structures at the front and rear of the building.

"Hidden under that is an old building that's going to be completely restored to its old condition," Michael Haran, CASCAP executive director, said of the original 1860s French mansard-style home. "We would love to at least get the demolition done" by year's end.

Residents of the 22 one-bedroom units will have their own kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living area, but will have services provided as well. Cambridge elderly will get preference. They must be over 62 years old with incomes below $20,850 and will only pay 30 percent of their income for rent.

Two apartments will be wheelchair accessible and one will be set aside for a resident manager. Other aspects of the plan include a proposed two-story addition at the rear of the original home, not to exceed the footprint of the current building; and five parking spaces.

"From our perspective, it's going to be the redevelopment of a blighted sight in the neighborhood," said Roger Herzog, housing director for the city's Community Development Department. "There's a lot of graffiti on the building."

The project will cost $2.6 million, of which nearly $2 million is being funded by the federal government. Last week, the state came up with $485,000 for the project with the assistance of state Rep. Alice Wolf, who Herzog said was "instrumental in helping the funds flow to Cambridge."

The city also agreed to "write down" the value of the property to make the deal possible. Assessed in 1995 at $600,000, the city agreed to transfer the property, through the Affordable Housing Trust, for only $235,000. Part of the deal was that CASCAP pay the $400,000 owed in back taxes, Haran said.

Before settling on housing for the elderly, other options were considered for the property. One was open space, which was ruled out because there are already four parks in a three-block radius, according to a city report last year. Up to 18 family townhouses could be built, but that would mean too much traffic and there is already a 46-unit public housing development, Jackson Gardens, on the block, the report said.

History worked in favor of renovating into an assisted-living facility since the building was previously a nursing home. In addition, seniors do not need as much parking, so there will be less traffic as opposed to the other options.

CASCAP will be working with the Cambridge Hospital's Elder Service Plan once the facility opens. The city has the right of first refusal on any sale and there are deed restrictions in place to guarantee the use.

"We've been doing assisted-living for the elderly since 1976," said Haran, citing past CASCAP projects on Magazine and Woodbridge streets and in Somerville. "Some of them are group homes for the mentally ill, some are for the elderly."

Though Herzog said the neighborhood is supportive of the plan, complaints popped up last November that people were not informed of a public meeting.

"We had done a lot of leaflets and notified the Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Association of the meeting," Herzog said. "We hope that all the neighbors have been informed about the project."

The property is within the Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District, whose commission by the same name must approve the proposed design.

This article originally appeared in the Cambridge Chronicle.