Planning Commission modifies Columbia's expansion plans

Planning Commission modifies Columbia's expansion plans
26-NOV-07

The City Planning Commission today voted to approve with modifications the expansion plans of Columbia University above 125th Street and Community Board 9's 197-a plan.

The modifications to the university's plans eliminated two planned academic research buildings along Broadway and replaced them with university housing and academic facilities.

"The commission has been particularly concerned," declared commission chair Amanda M. Burden in a statement, "that the proposed concentration of six academic research buildings fronting along Broadway would potentially diminish the ability to create a vibrant and active corridor.

We have has also been concerned by the scale and character of the proposed buildings in the northern portion Broadway and their relationship to the surrounding residential context. Therefore, for the northernmost site on the east side of Broadway, the permitted height will be reduced by half from 240 to 120 feet. And, on the northernmost site on the west side of Broadway, the maximum height will be reduced from 260 to 180 feet. These changes are significant and will provide a more balanced transition from the academic research cluster near 125th Street to the uses and scale of existing development to the north, while helping ensure a livelier, more varied character along this corridor."

The Columbia plans were also modified to increase the width of the north/south public passage from 125th Street to the Large Square with a prohibition on any gates or fencing and a mandate for seating and tree plantings.

The report adopted by the commission modified the Community Board's 197-a plan to permit the construction of an underground infrastructure network that would reduce the scale of the university's plan above grade and enable the development of a substantial open space program."
In her statement, Chair Burden acknowledged "the extraordinary work of Community Board 9 in preparing the 197-A plan, presenting it to the commission, and modifying it in response to the discussion that have taken place during this process."

The vote was 10 to 1 with 1 one abstention. The no vote was cast by Commissioner Karen Phillips and the abstention was from Commissioner Irwin Cantor.

The plan would enable the university to expand and modernize facilities in a 17-acre Academic Mixed-Use Area within a proposed 35-acre Special District and allow it to construct 5 to 6 million square feet of space over the next 25 years.

-->The City Planning Commission today voted to approve with modifications the expansion plans of Columbia University above 125th Street and Community Board 9's 197-a plan.
The modifications to the university's plans eliminated two planned academic research buildings along Broadway and replaced them with university housing and academic facilities.

"The commission has been particularly concerned," declared commission chair Amanda M. Burden in a statement, "that the proposed concentration of six academic research buildings fronting along Broadway would potentially diminish the ability to create a vibrant and active corridor. We have has also been concerned by the scale and character of the proposed buildings in the northern portion Broadway and their relationship to the surrounding residential context.

Therefore, for the northernmost site on the east side of Broadway, the permitted height will be reduced by half from 240 to 120 feet. And, on the northernmost site on the west side of Broadway, the maximum height will be reduced from 260 to 180 feet.

These changes are significant and will provide a more balanced transition from the academic research cluster near 125th Street to the uses and scale of existing development to the north, while helping ensure a livelier, more varied character along this corridor."

The Columbia plans were also modified to increase the width of the north/south public passage from 125th Street to the Large Square with a prohibition on any gates or fencing and a mandate for seating and tree plantings.

The report adopted by the commission modified the Community Board's 197-a plan to permit the construction of an underground infrastructure network that would reduce the scale of the university's plan above grade and enable the development of a substantial open space program."
In her statement, Chair Burden acknowledged "the extraordinary work of Community Board 9 in preparing the 197-A plan, presenting it to the commission, and modifying it in response to the discussion that have taken place during this process."

The vote was 10 to 1 with 1 one abstention. The no vote was cast by Commissioner Karen Phillips and the abstention was from Commissioner Irwin Cantor.

The plan would enable the university to expand and modernize facilities in a 17-acre Academic Mixed-Use Area within a proposed 35-acre Special District and allow it to construct 5 to 6 million square feet of space over the next 25 years.

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