ESDC Deems Manhattanville 'Blighted'

On Thursday morning, the Empire State Development Corporation announced it found Manhattanville to be "blighted," paving a path for the state to invoke eminent domain—the ability of government to forcibly buy property from a private citizen—where Columbia plans to build its new campus.

The ESDC also adopted the Columbia University General Project Plan for its expansion into West Harlem. The long-awaited decision comes after the expansion plan was approved in December by the New York City Council as the culmination of the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure.

Columbia owns most land within its 17-acre expansion footprint, and only two private property owners remain within the expansion zone. If they do not strike a deal with the University, the ruling means ESDC can exercise its powers of eminent domain to forcibly buy the properties, and turn them over to the University.

To read more about the release of the blight study, see http://www.columbiaspectator.com/node/55228.

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