Revised plan mixes academia, industry

The addition of a significant commercial component in Allston Landing North, land occupied for years by CSX railroad, represents a shift in thinking for Harvard — as well as a realization that financing will be far easier with industry partners.

“There was an aversion to mixing commerce and academia,’’ said Peter Tufano, a professor at Harvard Business School who helped develop the recommendations. Now university officials hope the mix will create “a gateway, a nexus’’ that could rival — or surpass — the success of the life science industry at Kendall Square near MIT, he said.

“It’s quite a good thing, as opposed to an objectionable thing, to partner with business,’’ Tufano said. “It complements what we want to do and embodies new ideas.’’

Harvard officials said they were confident the enterprise campus would be attractive to businesses, despite competition from Kendall Square. “I’ve been meeting with developers,’’ said Katherine N. Lapp, executive vice president. “To a person, people said this is a very unique site.’’

Harvard sought advice from land specialists and development consultants to understand current market conditions and alternative development methods.

McCall & Almy was one of the local real estate firms that consulted with Harvard. “The Harvard Allston holdings represent one of the most promising real estate development opportunities in the country,’’ Bill McCall, firm president and principal, said in a press release to be issued by Harvard today.

The task force of Harvard deans, faculty, and alumni that developed the proposal is to present its recommendations to university president Drew Faust and Harvard’s governing board today, as well as to Allston residents and businesses.

University officials said they did not want to discuss the cost or financing of the project because any projections are preliminary, though they said a substantial portion of money for the health and life science center will likely come from Harvard’s upcoming fund-raising campaign.