NY State Senate Bill 2025-S1203

Senate Bill S1203

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Repeals the Columbia University Education Mixed-Use Development Land Use Improvement and Civic Project Modified General Project Plan adopted by the empire state development corporation on December 18, 2008

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Corporations, Authorities And Commissions Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2025	referred to corporations, authorities and commissions

co-Sponsors

2025-S1203 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Corporations, Authorities And Commissions
Law Section:: New York State Urban Development Corporation Act
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S9028

2025-S1203 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S1203 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S1203

SPONSOR: CLEARE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to repeal the Columbia University Education Mixed-Use Development
Land Use Improvement and Civic Project Modified General Project Plan
adopted by the empire state development corporation on December 18, 2008

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF THE BILL:

Owing to the deleterious effects of such plan, as it relates to gentri-
fication, unaffordable rents and other considerations, this bill will
stop the Columbia University Education Mixed-Use Development Land Use
Improvement and Civic Project Modified General Project Plan adopted by
the empire state development corporation on December 18, 2008.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

This legislation essentially stops the Columbia University Education
Mixed-Use Development Land Use Improvement and Civic Project Modified
General Project Plan adopted by the empire state development corporation

on December 18, 2008. All aspects of the plan undertaken before the
effective date, including Community Benefits, are held harmless. A
Report is required.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The overwhelming breath and scope of The Columbia University Education
Mixed-Use Development Land Use Improvement and Civic Project Modified
General Project Plan adopted by the Empire State Development Corporation
on December 18, 2008 has been of longstanding concern to residents of
the 30th Senatorial District and Harlem in general. The project was
vehemently opposed by many who live in the community, including those
whose residences and businesses were in the area to be destroyed. Many
feared that the project was not just an abject land grab by a private
university, which would have no public benefit, but that it was a way to
displace historically settled Black residents, businesses and homeown-
ers. Meetings and hearings were held and the community was generally
opposed to and concerned about the project. Today, with soaring rents, a
replete lack of affordable housing and the widespread gentrification of
Black Harlem leading to historic outmigration of generational residents,
the greatest fears of those who opposed this project have been realized.
The project was one of the greatest abuses of the mystical standard
known as "blight" accompanied by "eminent domain" that our state and
nation has ever seen. The words, the process and our people were used an
abused towards a predetermined end. The Appellate Division of the New
York State Supreme Court agreed in 2009, finding in sum, that: Empire
State Development Corporation violated both state and federal due proc-
ess clauses in an effort to prevent affected property owners from
obtaining necessary information. ESDC's finding of blight was "bereft of
facts" to establish true blight. The ESDC's determination that the
project even has a public use, benefit or civic purpose was also called
into question. Most troubling of all was the pattern of collusion
between the state and Columbia, a private developer trying to utilize
the state's power of eminent domain to take private property. This was
clearly evidenced by the ESDC and Columbia each hiring the exact same
consultant to conduct the blight study that served as the rationale for
triggering condemnation proceedings. For several years, groups in the
Harlem Community - such as the New York State Interfaith Commission On
Housing Equality -have been calling for the full repeal of this project,
which, naturally, was not approved by the City Council, State Legisla-
ture or any elected body whatsoever. Since the project is still open
ended, and the authorization still allows actions to be taken that
threaten the very existence of West Harlem and Washington Heights, the
only sane approach is to repeal the plan.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE. HISTORY:

New Proposal In 2024.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT:

None Expected.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S1203 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1203
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. CLEARE, BRISPORT, JACKSON, SALAZAR -- read twice and
   ordered  printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on
   Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
 
 AN ACT to repeal the Columbia University Education Mixed-Use Development
   Land Use Improvement and Civic Project Modified General  Project  Plan
   adopted  by  the  empire state development corporation on December 18,
   2008
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Legislative intent. The overwhelming breadth and scope of
 The  Columbia  University  Education  Mixed-Use  Development  Land   Use
 Improvement  and  Civic Project Modified General Project Plan adopted by
 the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) on December 18, 2008 has
 been of  longstanding  concern  to  residents  of  the  30th  Senatorial
 District  and  Harlem in general.  The project was vehemently opposed by
 many who live in the community, including  those  whose  residences  and
 businesses  were  in  the  area  to be destroyed.   Many feared that the
 project was not just an abject land grab by a private university,  which
 would  have no public benefit, but that it was a way to displace histor-
 ically settled Black residents, businesses and homeowners.  Meetings and
 hearings were held and  the  community  was  generally  opposed  to  and
 concerned  about the project.  Today, with soaring rents, a replete lack
 of affordable housing and the widespread gentrification of Black  Harlem
 leading to historic outmigration of generational residents, the greatest
 fears of those who opposed this project have been realized.  The project
 was  one  of  the  greatest  abuses  of  the  mystical standard known as
 "blight" accompanied by "eminent domain" that our state and  nation  has
 ever  seen.   The words, the process and our people were used and abused
 towards a predetermined end.   The Appellate Division of  the  New  York
 State  Supreme  Court  agreed  in 2009, finding in sum, that: The Empire
 State Development Corporation violated both state and federal due  proc-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03441-01-5

 S. 1203                             2
 
 ess  clauses  in  an  effort  to  prevent  affected property owners from
 obtaining necessary information.  ESDC's finding of blight  was  "bereft
 of  facts"  to establish true blight.  The ESDC's determination that the
 project  even has a public use, benefit or civic purpose was also called
 into question. Most troubling  of  all  was  the  pattern  of  collusion
 between  the  state  and Columbia, a private developer trying to utilize
 the state's power of eminent domain to take private property.  This  was
 clearly  evidenced  by  the ESDC and Columbia each hiring the exact same
 consultant to conduct the blight study that served as the rationale  for
 triggering  condemnation proceedings.   For several years, groups in the
 Harlem Community, such as the New York State  Interfaith  Commission  On
 Housing Equality, have been calling for the full repeal of this project,
 which,  naturally,  was not approved by the City Council, State Legisla-
 ture or any elected body whatsoever.  Since the project  is  still  open
 ended,  and  the  authorization  still  allows  actions to be taken that
 threaten the very existence of West Harlem and Washington  Heights,  the
 only sane approach is to repeal the plan.
   §  2. The Columbia University Education Mixed-Use Development Land Use
 Improvement and Civic Project Modified General Project Plan  adopted  by
 the  empire state development corporation on December 18, 2008 is hereby
 REPEALED.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S1203

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Sponsored By

Cordell Cleare