More Expansion Preparation? Columbia Closes on Another Manhattanville Property

Perhaps one more step toward Manhattanville expansion was taken in recent days when Columbia University finalized the purchase of a vacant building at 3270 Broadway. The sale closed for $10.4 million, according to city records.

The building, which sits between 131st and 132nd Streets, is a former U-Haul facility with serious structural problems, according to a Columbia spokesperson. The property has been under contract with Columbia since May 2005.

“This building really needs an inspection and some serious work done on the structure,” the spokesperson told The Observer. “At this time, Columbia has no plans for the building because the structural problems are so noticeable.”

This is the third property that Columbia has closed on in recent weeks, and the second that is directly in the eye of the long-debated Manhattanville expansion.

Is it time to start raising those eyebrows a little bit higher?