The Authority put the property up for sale this past January and is supposed to make its final decision by the end of this week. But while Houghton Chemical bid on one of the parcels, Harvard was the only bidder on all five parcels.

A city official tells GlobeSt.com that city Mayor Thomas M. Menino was "surprised at the speed at which requests for proposals [for the property] were being issued." In question is the proximity of this property to a number of rail yards that are currently in use. The mayor wants to see further studies done on the impact to the yards of developing those parcels. The mayor, says the city official, "wants to see that the development won't impact the rail yards. This could ultimately have an impact on interstate commerce." Calls to the Turnpike Authority for comment were not returned by press time.

A spokesperson for Harvard tells GlobeSt.com that the university sees this property as a long-term investment. She emphasizes that, if its bid is accepted, Harvard does not see any changes in uses of the land in the near term. "The use of the property will not change in the foreseeable future," she says. The property is currently utilized for industrial and commercial uses. Marshall further points out that the university is currently focused on developing its property in North Allston on the other side of the Charles River.