About That Second Columbia Blight Study...
It seems the second blight study commissioned for Columbia University's planned West Harlem expansion did not come at extra cost to the state, as the Empire State Development Corporation's spokesman confirmed today that Columbia picked up the report's $217,000 tab.
The state's major development agency, ESDC, yesterday declared the 17-acre expansion footprint as blighted, a necessary step before using eminent domain. Prior to yesterday, it was unclear whether a blight study the state commissioned would have run into legal obstacles, as a state appellate court earlier in the week was critical of the state's use of contractor AKRF to complete the study.
But yesterday, ESDC's president, Avi Schick, announced the agency had done a second blight study—an "audit," according to the press release—with a separate consultant, seemingly mooting the concerns regarding AKRF (though we haven't yet seen the second study).
Mr. Schick yesterday also unveiled an unexpected set of concessions Columbia had agreed to, including $20 million to be paid to the state's community development agency for the area (a subsidiary of ESDC).
$217K to declare that place blighted - Government waste at it's finest (even though it was Columbia's money it still was a waste of money). A 5 minute walk through the neighborhood by anyone with more than 1/4 of a brain would have determined that the area is a total wasteland. They should bomb the area and start over. Let's hope Columbia starts taking down the buildings soon.
Wow, a bit radical there #1. Maybe we should raze every urban area that has been allowed to fall into disrepair...
Or maybe thats just the easy way out. Did you really think about the situation before you opened your mouth?
The people opposing Columbia's plan fall into three categories:
1) Building owners in the area. These people raise hell because the more hell they raise, the higher price they'll receive for their land.
2) Residents in the area. These people (though few) raise hell because they feel they are entitled (to free rent for 2 years, tuition for their kids to go to a private school, new apartment unit at old apartment unit price, so on and so on).
3) Columbia students. These people sympathize with both groups above (likely because of white guilt).
All three groups piss me off. Nothing pisses me off more than group (2) though. By the way, about 25 residents in the area are already guaranteed free housing for 2 years. Why? Because they can't afford to live there. Only in America, folks.
Residents piss you off, 8:09pm?
There are about 8 million residents in NYC.
You are a very sad, very pathetic bit of humanity, if that is how you feel about your neighbors.
You must be a very unhappy person.
Everything north of 125th street should be razed; residents who can't afford the new area can move to Mott Haven. The area is to valuable to leave fallow for ghetto.
Residents and Columbia students can go to hell.
You should see a city in the third world country and then we talk about the area.