"Town Hall' Mtg. Fosters Discussion

Columbia Spectator
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'Town Hall' Mtg. Fosters Discussion
By Nick KlaggeSpectator Staff Writer
Issue date: 2/26/04 Section: >Manhattanville Expansion" href="http://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2004/02/26/NewsManhattanvilleExpansion/">News>>Manhattanville Expansion

Last night's "geographic town hall meeting" marked a subtle change in the tone of relations between Columbia and community activists over the University's proposed Manhattanville expansion. The meeting, which brought together community residents, Columbia administrators, and City Councilman Robert Jackson, was relatively free of confrontation.

The "geographic" town hall meetings are a series of public events held by the Columbia administration targeted at specific sections of Columbia's Harlem and Morningside Heights neighborhood. Last night's meeting, though open to the general public, was targeted at residents living between 135th and 145th Streets from St. Nicholas Avenue to the Hudson River.

Held at Roberto Clemente Middle School on 135th Street, the meeting had relatively low turnout, probably due to competition from a CB9 meeting nearby addressing the 197-A expansion plan. But those who did attend were vocal, and offered more constructive criticism than outright opposition to Columbia's plans.

Organizers of the meeting had advertised in both English and Spanish, hoping to attract some of the area's considerable Spanish-speaking population. But though they offered a simultaneous translation into Spanish at the outset of the meeting, nobody present accepted.

Councilman Jackson delivered the opening remarks, setting the tone for the rest of the meeting. "I personally believe that the area should be developed," he said. At the same time, though, he was openly wary of administrators' statements, professing ultimate allegiance to his constituents. "If in fact they are lying to me, they can only lie to me once," he said of the administration.

The floor then went to Emily Lloyd, Columbia executive vice president for Government and Community Affairs. As Coalition to Preserve Community steering committee member Tom Kappner pointed out, Lloyd's presentation differed little from those at previous events. "A lot of what I've heard here we've heard before," Kappner said. But many needed the basic background that Lloyd provided--several present didn't know about CB9's 197-A plan, for example.

One of the areas Lloyd stressed was the long-term nature of the project. In the next 10 years, she said, Columbia would expand only between 125th and 130th Streets--an area that, as CB9 member Maritta Dunn later pointed out, is actually little more than one block. As usual, job creation was another major focus of Lloyd's presentation. Although the university projects the creation of 2,400 permanent jobs from the expansion, Lloyd said that a breakdown of the types of jobs involved in that figure is "something we will be developing in the weeks ahead."

Lloyd also discussed the possibility of synergies between Columbia's School of the Arts and the community--a topic that would become a major emphasis throughout the meeting. "The Harlem arts community and the School of the Arts could continue some of the partnerships they have already started," she said.

CB9 member Vicky Gholson stressed the need for Columbia to come out with more specific plans on certain expansion issues, including the 135th Street Marine Transfer Station and the development of Harlem Piers. "Those are some of the conversations that have not been had in the public purview that are necessary to lessen distrust," she said. Gholson called the expansion of Columbia's School of the Arts "exhilarating," pointing out that many Harlem residents would be qualified to teach in the arts.

Another community activist present was Norma Ramos, an environmental justice attorney from West Harlem Environmental Action. She too, professed a cautious optimism: "I've had a long-standing mistrust of Columbia," she said, but continued, "This new president [Bollinger] gives me hope that Columbia is going to build a better relationship with the community."

Still, she argued for close scrutiny of environmental issues as expansion proceeds. "Let it be green," she said.

Last night's meeting was still only one element of a sustained series of meetings on expansion. Administrators indicated several important events in the near future, including a meeting between University President Bollinger and the CPC and the release of the official Environmental Impact Statement in late spring or early summer. Jackson also expressed an interest in meeting with the CPC. "This area needs to be developed into something positive for our community," he said.