by John Osborn ·
Friday, January 23, 2026
The Harvard-Devens Jurisdiction Committee will hold a public forum on Tuesday, Jan. 27, from 7:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Harvard Senior Center to present its findings on the future governance of Devens.
The committee has been tasked—by a vote of Town Meeting—with addressing whether and how Harvard should resume jurisdiction over land within the Devens Regional Enterprise Zone that falls within Harvard’s historical town boundaries. Under Massachusetts state law, MassDevelopment, the surrounding towns, and the Devens Enterprise Commission must submit a plan for future governance of the former U.S. Army base to the Legislature no later than July 1, 2033. Until then, MassDevelopment remains the governing authority, collecting taxes and providing municipal services to Devens businesses and residents.
For the first time, the committee will present a detailed financial analysis examining both the potential revenue opportunity for Harvard and the critical question on every resident’s mind: Will taxes increase, decrease, or remain stable? The presentation will include tax forecasts for both Devens and Harvard residents.
Beyond financial considerations, the committee will also present findings on how resuming jurisdiction could affect schools, municipal services, and utilities, as well as other aspects of town life. Of particular interest is the potential impact of increased housing development on Harvard schools, which are under contract to educate Devens children. The forum will also include a historical overview of the negotiations that led to the 1996 reuse plan governing the redevelopment of the former Army base.
The committee’s analysis will focus specifically on the consequences of Harvard resuming governance of land within its historical boundaries and will not address alternative scenarios, such as Devens becoming its own town.
The stakes are substantial. According to a July 2025 economic study prepared for MassDevelopment by Cambridge Econometrics of Northampton, the 4,400-acre Devens community—which comprises land within the historical boundaries of Harvard, Ayer, and Shirley—currently hosts 95 establishments employing 7,675 workers. Employment has surged 26% since 2020, with workers earning an average annual wage of $113,000, approximately $21,500 above the state average. The economic activity generates $7.9 billion in total output for Massachusetts and contributes an estimated $142 million in state tax revenue annually, according to the report.
Devens is also home to a growing residential community of approximately 950 residents in 256 housing units, with substantial expansion planned following the 2024 removal of a housing cap that opens more than 60 acres for potential development of hundreds of additional units. The area’s newest neighborhoods at Emerson Green and Adams Circle as well as homes on Walnut and Elm streets lie within Harvard’s historical boundaries, as do two of the region’s largest businesses, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Commonwealth Fusion.