#159-160 Fall/Winter 2009-10

A Roadblock in Manhattanville

Columbia University’s plan to expand its Harlem campus north into a 17-acre parcel currently occupied by warehouses and auto repair shops was put to a halt by the New York […]

Columbia University’s plan to expand its Harlem campus north into a 17-acre parcel currently occupied by warehouses and auto repair shops was put to a halt by the New York State Supreme Court’s appellate division, citing a misuse of the eminent domain law by the state on the university’s behalf. Specifically, the court ruled that there was no civic purpose behind the school’s expansion plan. The school’s developer contends that the proposed project would offer civic value, citing education, community vitality, and increased job opportunities.

But the expansion has caused a good deal of strife among local businesses and residents, as well as the prospects outlined in a 30-year plan to enhance the urban campus that Shelterforce examined in 2008 (Will Columbia Take Manhattanville? Shelterforce #153), and the university is seen among many residents as having a history of neighborhood encroachment.

Columbia’s expansion efforts represent all the classic elements of a major institution in built-out environs, seeking to expand to remain state-of-the-art and competitive, all the while remaining in its original setting. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out, considering that the New York State Court of Appeals recently allowed for the use of eminent domain in Brooklyn for the future home of the New Jersey Nets (another controversial project). Columbia has all but called the area intended for development “blighted,” so stay tuned for the school’s next move — a move residents are already anticipating.

OTHER ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE

  • Slipping Away

    February 12, 2010

    As a wave of HUD mortgages expires in the next four years, an already dwindling supply of affordable units may nosedive with owners making windfall profits -- unless the right mix of federal legislation and local organizing can save the day.

  • HUD’s New Team

    February 12, 2010

    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Obama administration is equipped with an impressive list of housing experts at the top.

  • Heard and Not Forgotten

    February 12, 2010

    What started out as a "weird art project" in Toronto is providing aural illustrations into a northern New Jersey community's past, and, organizers hope, laying the groundwork for the future.