Legislation to halt Columbia’s Manhattanville expansion reintroduced to New York State Legislature
Originally published in
Columbia Daily Spectator
on
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Photo of Columbia University's Main Administrative Building Low Library, Credit: Zohar Ford
The reintroduction of the bill follows a series of monthly meetings between West Harlem leaders and University administrators.
District 30 State Sen. Cordell Cleare and District 71 Assembly member Al Taylor reintroduced a bill to revoke New York state’s authorization of Columbia’s Manhattanville expansion to the New York State Senate and Assembly in January.
The bill aims to repeal Columbia’s Manhattanville General Project Plan, which the University signed with the Empire State Development Corporation in December 2008.
Its reintroduction follows several meetings between University administrators and the One Harlem coalition, a group of West Harlem leaders and activists advocating against Columbia’s expansion into their community. Cleare and Taylor, who are members of the coalition, have joined in its calls for the University to halt its expansion and invest in affordable housing.
“The One Harlem Coalition continues to grow and meet regularly and naturally, organize,” Cleare wrote in a statement to Spectator. “It is also true that we have had a series of meetings with Columbia University Administration. Both series of meetings will likely continue to occur, quite possibly for years.”
