In 2018, Northeastern planned a 55,000-sq-ft expansion on a Massachusetts peninsula; 8 years later, the town won the right to take 12 acres by eminent domain to keep them open

• The town of Nahant during a breezy spring day.
• Photo credit: CanvaIn 2018, Northeastern University announced plans for a major marine science expansion on Nahant, a small, densely built peninsula northeast of Boston.
• The proposal included up to 55,000 square feet of new research and teaching space on a 12-acre coastal parcel that many residents viewed as one of the last large open spaces in town.