Harlem Asks Columbia for $247 M.
In light of tomorrow’s expected City Council vote on Columbia University’s expansion plan, the Harlem group that is negotiating a community benefits agreement is trying to finalize beforehand a set of pledges for the school to make on issues such as affordable housing, education and job training.
The agreement, according to a source familiar with the negotiations, is all set except for one crucial element: the numbers were left blank. The source said that the group, the West Harlem Local Development Corporation, has gone into these negotiations asking for a total of $247 million in benefits. Columbia has not offered much more than the $32.5 million pact it made with Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer in September, according to the source.
One new element that apparently both sides agree on: a public laboratory school, for pre-K through 8th grade, that would be affiliated with Teachers College, which is separate from, yet related to, Columbia, and supported by the university. This would come in addition to the high school for which Columbia will donate land that has already opened in temporary space.
Oh, and one other thing: the name has changed from a “community benefits agreement” to a “community partnership agreement.”
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A quarter of a billion dollars? For the emotional and material damage of developing a dead-zone of chopshops? On land that Columbia owns?
Are we in New York, or Soviet Leningrad?
This is the Heist of the Century.
If anything, Harlem should be paying Columbia a quarter of a billion dollars to improve the community.
This is extortion at its worst. What is wrong with our city? Are we too dumb to see how much good this will do? Ridiculous.
Yes, let's all play "shake down the educational institution while trying to make *them* seem greedy and racist."
Grow up and read the real estate section of the paper. Next to what Columbia will be making out of this move a quarter billion is nothing. Don't get me wrong some in the community will make a killing as well and others unfortunatelly will have to move.
This is an obscene example of the use by non-elected officials of what is essentially a arbitrary tax on an institution whose continued growth is essential to the welfare of the entire region. It is a disgrace that public officials allowq and even encourage this kind of hold up.
12:02,
They aren't making money off of their expansion, they're a non-profit!!! No one gets rich off of this except these extortionists.
So ridiculous...
12:02,
They aren't making money off of their expansion, they're a non-profit!!! No one gets rich off of this except these extortionists.
So ridiculous...
This is an outrage. Show your support for Columbia's expansion by writing community board 9 and 10 and the city council. Tell them that columbia's expansion is needed and stop being greedy with what is a perfectly legal expansion by an ivy league school.
WRITE or call city council members:
Inez Dickens
District Office Phone
212-678-4505
http://www.council.nyc.gov/d9/html/members/home.shtml
Robert Jackson
District Office Phone
212-928-1322
http://www.council.nyc.gov/d7/html/members/home.shtml
Unbelievable. Harlem must stop this BS. The crack houses are NOT coming back!
Wake up, Anonymous 12:02, Columbia has long been filthy rich and self-serving. Phenomenally profitable, it annually burns through many nontaxable millions delivering nonessential perks to itself. 'Non profit' Columbia can probably afford 2 billion or more right now to genuinely partnership with Harlem for state-of-the-art schools, housing, healthcare, infrastructural initiatives and so forth and still provide for its own inflated development agenda. But, panzer-like as in the past, Columbia will instead use its immense legal resources to intimidate an already overstressed community at large and take from it whatever it wants.
What would be better would be a secret handshake deal to do a series of favorable studies on pharmaceutical crack sales.
What would be better would be a secret handshake deal to do a series of favorable studies on pharmaceutical crack sales.
To J. Murray:
You don't know what you're talking about. What "nonessential perks" do you think Columbia gives itself at taxpayer expense? And the fact that it has money does not mean it should give that money away. In fact, it's legally obligated not to do that, since people chose to donate their money to Columbia instead of the other causes you mention would see their purpose thwarted if Columbia turned around and gave it to someone else.
Don't forget that the university has 22,000 students, about 4,000 faculty and something like 12,000 other employees to support. Giving away money would weaken its ability to perform its educational and research missions. Performing those missions well is how it contributes to the region's (as well as the nation's and the world's) economy and culture.
Don't forget it's a quarter of a billion over many years, and in dribs and drabs. No doubt some will come from funding sources other than Columbia itself.
To the extent the money is used to actually benefit the community, it's a great thing. But I'm with those who are skeptical that some of the community activists (or their backers) will end up making out like bandits, with the community receiving essentially a series of white elephants.
It's nice to see that racism & idiocy are alive & well in New York City.
easy folks. just cuz the area is predominantly black doesnt mean we have to make this about color. the area they are building up needs improvement and will bridge the gap to harlem from dinosaur, river cafe and the waterfront which is going to very nice. The few people being displaced, if any at all, need to move for the common good. not the good of rich students from Dallas but for the community's good. Now, as for extortion, Columbia needs Harlem, Harlem needs Columbia and money. Columbia has money and stands to improve its efficiency, save money, make money and expand so they should pay. 250 million. 32 million. there is no reason why the boards shouldnt fight to get as much money as possible (hopefully for good use) and no reason why Columbia shouldnt fight to pay as little as possible.
Stop talking about racism and crack houses. you are part of the problem. your turning positives into negatives.