Harvard University has made public its 50-year master plan for Allston, a Boston neighborhood across the Charles River from its campus, in Cambridge, Mass., and the focus of its hopes for expansion. The plan will turn 250 acres of land into academic buildings, student housing, a public square, retail stores, theaters, and an art museum, The Boston Globe reported.

University officials said the project would cost several billion dollars, with construction slated to begin by the end of the year. The project would be paid for with a mix of university money, donations, and grants, said Steven E. Hyman, Harvard’s provost.

Mayor Thomas Menino of Boston praised the plan, saying the university would provide thousands of jobs and become “a major presence in our city.” However, neighborhood groups and some state officials are against it. The critics say it would make the river less accessible to the public and change the character of the working-class community nearby. Critics have also assailed Harvard for the secretive way it acquired the land.