Home > Orientation 2006
Welcome to New York
There's More to This City Than the Village-Here's What's On
the Minds of Locals Outside of the Columbia Bubble
By Tanveer Ali
Issue date: 8/29/06 Section: Orientation 2006
17 ACRES CU's expansion plans
for Manhattanville have attracted
concerns over displacement and
gentrification.[Click to enlarge]
Manhattanville Expansion
Since 2003, the big issue in the area has been Columbia's proposed 17-acre campus in Manhattanville.
Roughly bound by 12th Avenue, Broadway, and 125th and 133rd streets, the University has stated the area is underdeveloped and says rezoning the area would be a move in the right direction for West Harlem. The project would be conducted in phases and be completed within 25 to 30 years.
The University owns most of the area, though a few property owners refuse to sell. In summer 2004, Columbia officials contacted Empire State Development Corporation, a state agency, to consider the possible use of eminent domain by which the state could forcibly buy private property for public use. Columbia has said eminent domain remains only a last resort.
The expansion plan and Columbia's refusal to take eminent domain off the table has met opposition from students, community leaders, and area residents who support a plan developed by Community Board 9, the local government advisory board. In the works long before Columbia announced its proposal, the 197-a plan is a framework for development in West Harlem calling for the preservation of manufacturing in Manhattanville and the creation of more affordable housing units.
A local development corporation representing the interests of the community was formed during the summer to engage in binding negotiations with Columbia. If an agreement is reached, Columbia, as the developer, would be legally required to offer perks to the surrounding community.
Currently both the University and the 197-a plan are under review by the Department of City Planning. Once the reviews are complete, the University will enter into a process which might allow for a rezoning of the area.
Upper West Side Rezoning
Extell Development Company was met with fierce condemnation when it announced its construction plans for two high-rise luxury apartment buildings on Broadway near 100th Street last summer. Extell faced few obstacles to its plan and began building "as of right" later that year, without needing changes in zoning or approval from Community Board 7.
Just as quickly as Extell broke ground on its 31- and 37-story buildings, the group known as West Siders for Responsible Development was formed to work with CB7 and elected officials to change the neighborhood's zoning laws in an effort to keep the both the skyline and rent on the West Side low. At June's CB7 general meeting, the board unanimously passed a resolution that calls for limiting new developments on Broadway below 120 feet and below 75 feet anywhere else in the neighborhood. The resolution awaits approval by the City Council.
Crime
Though the 26th Precinct-which the Morningside Heights campus is a part of-has seen an increase in major crimes since 2002, there has been a considerable decrease in criminal activity compared to data five to 10 years ago.
Affordable Housing
In this part of the city, lack of affordable housing is a continuing problem. Last year, the landlord of a large apartment complex located at 3333 Broadway opted out of a state run subsidies program and raised rents on some apartments as much as $700-from $300 to $1,000.
Additionally, the residents of Morningside Gardens, a co-op complex located between Broadway and Amsterdam on 123rd Street, voted last year to allow their units to sell for triple the previous prices. Some landlords argue that increased maintenance and heating costs in New York makes maintaining low rent prices nearly impossible.
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