“Are there any residents of Harvard Hall out there who have thoughts about this project?”

“Dear PoPville,

I’m curious to hear what your subjects know about the overhaul of Harvard Hall at 1650 Harvard St. NW. This is a massive apartment building that takes up most of the block. I live nearby on Harvard and the project has had a big impact on the neighborhood.

Since around November, a crew has been emptying out the innards of the building via huge chutes out the windows. Many days are accompanied by regular thunderous crashes of drywall and metals landing in industrial containers, which are continually hauled away by trucks.

The recently laid asphalt road is already scored and grooved from the huge trucks dragging bins daily. Not only that, but the crew wear white hazmat style suits and the sign on the door says it’s an asbestos removal project. Sometimes the block smells like a portopotty from the increasing number of them out front of the building. There was a community yard sale on their lawn last summer but I had no idea it was part of the exodus from the building in advance of a renovation. I read in the one article I could find that the building has offered to temporarily relocate residents until the project is finished.

Are there any residents of Harvard Hall out there who have thoughts about this project? Anyone know if it’s going well or poorly? When is it scheduled to wrap up?”