Harvard Street Health Center Breaks Ground in Boston

The health center begins construction on a new three-story, 49,000-square-foot facility on Old Road.

Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Construction

Steel construction frame of a building rising against a backdrop of traditional Boston brick architecture. — Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center has broken ground on its new 49,000-square-foot medical facility in Boston to expand patient capacity. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center has officially broken ground on a new site in Boston. The project aims to replace an outdated facility and improve health access for local residents.

Why it matters

The new facility is designed to address existing health access disparities in the neighborhood by replacing a current building on Blue Hill Avenue that lacks sufficient space. This expansion is expected to allow the center to serve thousands more patients annually.

The new building will span 49,000 square feet across three stories, supported by $20 million in tax-exempt bonds. This project follows 12 years of planning to address operational space limitations.

The players

Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center

A community health organization providing medical services that has operated in Boston since 1968.

South Shore Bank

A financial institution that purchased $20 million in tax-exempt bonds to fund the construction project.

Boston Medical Center

A major academic medical center that contributed to the capital campaign for the new facility.

Commodore Construction

The contracted firm responsible for the physical construction of the new three-story building.

The Community Builders

A development partner based in Jamaica Plain that is collaborating on the new site and housing project.

The details

The health center partnered with The Community Builders to develop the Old Road site, with funding secured through New Market Tax Credits and a capital campaign supported by Boston Medical Center. Commodore Construction has been tapped to manage the building process, which has already resulted in partial road closures for preliminary activities.

1968: Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center began operations.
1975: The organization moved to its current Blue Hill Avenue building.
October 29, 2026: A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the new site.
Next 18 to 24 months: The expected duration of the construction process.

Market Landscape

The use of New Market Tax Credits demonstrates a strategic shift toward utilizing federal incentives to renovate essential community health infrastructure in dense urban markets. This development positions the organization to scale its service capacity against the backdrop of increasing demand for localized healthcare.

Local patients can expect expanded medical access and modernized facilities once construction concludes within the next two years. Residents should prepare for ongoing traffic changes and partial closures on Old Road while site work is underway.

The takeaway

The transition to a larger facility marks a significant effort to modernize healthcare delivery for the surrounding community. Patients and residents should monitor local transit alerts as construction activity on Old Road continues over the next 24 months.