As everyone waits for to see if the Eminent Domain ruling gets turned around in Columbia's favor by the Court of Appeals, many might be wondering why a majority of the land between 126th Street and 130th Street has been pretty much wiped out as of last week (top photo). Since the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court, this past December, declared that the university caused the blight in Manhattanville (and thus could not use Eminent Domain to take away property from the remaining owners), the demolition of Phase 1 of the project has still been going strong. The top photo shows the area where the old stables-turned-garage had existed and now the entire land has been stripped bare. Columbia officials are so confident that the ruling will be overturned in the next three weeks that they have stated that no Plan B has been drawn out if the verdict does not go in their favor. If the property owners who own the last 9% of the Manhattanville site win out next month, the remaining fate of the rest of the new campus will be unclear. Read more details on what the university officials have to say in the Columbia Spectator (No Plan B for Manhattanville): LINK
Columbia has a plan B. Even if the court does not rule in their favor they will move forward. It will be a pain, but they have most of the land and will start building soon.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand how a court can rule in favor of Atlantic Yards and not Columbia U. CU project is much more important to the community. Jobs, and Science research which someday may hold keys to cures seem to be more in the public interest than a greedy storage baron who has done nothing - and I repeat - nothing for Harlem.
Say what you will about CU, but they do give Harlem jobs, after school programs and scholarships. Last time I checked, Nick Spraygan (sp?) has given nothing to our youth or community.
I say Go Columbia Go!
The specific space they are clearing out now is going to be built on by Columbia with or without eminent domain. That is the future location of the Mind/Brain Institute for which they have already received something like $200 million from a private donor. The question that remains is if and how the remaining campus would be built without eminent domain. That is why the are moving forward at this time with the demolition at this particular location.
ReplyDeleteIt's all about the underground infrastructure and the scale of the project. Just to echo 9:19's comments above, I think it's absurd in the extreme for anyone to suggest that the two holdouts are representing any sort of larger "community" interest. They can fight to increase their own leverage, of course, but that doesn't change the underlying dynamic. ESDC was right to push this project forward in the public interest, and I can't imagine the appeals court will not overturn the lower court ruling in this case.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious what the process will be if the ruling is overturned and ED can proceed.
ReplyDeletewhat about the bio hazard waste bathtub that they have to build underground on the property owner site? CU said they needed it for the science building and that is why they are pursuing the holdouts. So if they don't win, then how can the science building get built? Or does CU not need the bathtub space and not need the holdout property? Conflicting information here.
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous 9:39:
ReplyDeleteTo build the entire campus as planned, they do need to construct the bathtub. fyi - they are planning several science buildings, not just one. to build one single building where they are currently clearing the area, they do not need a bathtub. no conflicting info there.