Monday, August 30, 2010

Columbia University Expansion Gets Go Ahead by NY's Top Court

Layout for Columbia's 17 Acre Campus
Courtesy of Renzo Piano Building Workshop/Skidmore Owings & Merrill


On June 24, New York's Court of Appeals cleared the way for the state to exercise eminent domain on behalf of Columbia and acquire control of 17 acres of land in the West Harlem Manhattanville Community. In a 9-0 decision it reversed the Supreme Court's decision back on December 3.

Columbia plans to spend $6.3 Billion on a 25 year plan which maintains the existing street grid, but includes demolition of all buildings except for four. The University plans construction of 16 mixed use buildings for classrooms, housing and research.

There will be a total of 6.8 million square feet of academic space which will include up to 7 floors of underground space

Pre-construction of the first phase has begun on the Jerome L. Greene Science Center, a neuroscience research which will be completed by 2015. The second phase is planned to be completed by 2030.

Included in the plans is a park on 12th Avenue for which 94,000 square feet of green public space is dedicated.

The few remaining property owners on the site plan an appeal to the US Supreme Court.

The blogger wishes to thank The Architectural Record, The New York Observer and The Columbia Spectator for the information contained herein







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