For over a decade, Harvard has been trying to relinquish its ownership of 9.6 acres of land in the Boston neighborhood of Mission Hill. Now, after years spent working to make the sale viable, the final stages of the transfer are finally near completion.

Once One Brigham Circle is sold, Harvard will no longer own any property in Mission Hill, located south of Harvard's Longwood campus. The University sold off another holding--a large apartment complex--to a tenant association in 1999.

The land known as the "ledge site" is currently occupied by a small retail strip made up of a bank, drugstore, and a dry cleaning establishment.

Development plans include allotting space for a grocery store, offices, shops and restaurants, as well as building a large parking garage. An undeveloped portion of the site will be turned into a park for local residents.

Harvard's buyer, Mission Hill Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS), developed the design after a long planning process with community members.

"The community created this plan," says James Hoffman, executive director of NHS, a non-profit organization that develops low income housing and conducts community and economic planning.

The plan has been strongly endorsed by Harvard officials who say it has the potential to revitalize the Mission Hill area.

"Brigham Circle is very important to the general health of the surrounding residential community," said Eric Buehrens, associate dean for planning and real estate at the Harvard Medical School (HMS). "This project, by preserving and enhancing the retail operations in the community, is going to be a valuable addition to the overall economic vitality of the area."