The Barry’s Corner residential and retail development that would bring 325 new apartments and 45,000 square feet of retail space to North Allston gained approval from the Boston Civic Design Commission, the body charged with guiding the creation of the city’s built environment Wednesday night.

That approval, pending some design changes, was good news for Harvard University and Samuels & Assoc., the joint venture proposing the project.

If the plan gains approval from the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) board at a hearing on March 14, Harvard will have the green light to build the 350,000-square-foot building on the 2.67-acre site the university owns at the corner of North Harvard Street and Western Avenue. Developer Steve Samuels will operate the property once it is constructed. His firm already has a 99-year ground lease in-hand. Construction is expected to start before the end of the year. 

The idea that the developer reduced the number of parking spaces it plans to build onsite to 180 from the originally proposed 220, however, shocked the residents and local stakeholders comprising the task force created to monitor and guide the public review of the development proposal. Task force members also expressed dismay that the BRA planned a board vote for the project just a week after a presentation of the parking space reduction and the design changes from the design commission.

With 325 new units and at least that many residents moving into the neighborhood, 180 parking spaces is just not sufficient to support the influx of new residents, said Harry Mattison, a task force member. However, Gerald Autler, BRA project manager, said studies from the city’s transportation department supported the amount of proposed parking. There are also about 50 public parking spaces in the vicinity, according to a Samuels & Assoc. official. In addition, the firm will create a new bike lane along Smith Field Drive.