New building begins Columbia University’s expansion into West Harlem neighborhood

From The New York Times: The new interdisciplinary science building at Columbia University in New York City is expected to serve as a gateway to a campus expansion planned for the West Harlem neighborhood. The muscular steel-and-aluminum frame of the Northwest Corner Building is a vivid example of how to fit into a difficult historical context without slavishly kowtowing to it. The architect is Jose Rafael Moneo.

OCTOBER 2009...from The New York Times: Few sites have proved as challenging for architect Jose Rafael Moneo as his latest project, a $200 million interdisciplinary science building under construction in New York City for Columbia University. Moneo has had to grapple with placing a tall building on top of the existing gymnasium without crushing it or even interrupting the basketball season — a daunting engineering task.

Also...DECEMBER 2010...from The Columbia Spectator: The U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to reconsider the legality of eminent domain for a planned expansion of Columbia University in New York City. This gives a clear green light for the state to use eminent domain on behalf of Columbia’s 17-acre campus expansion in the West Harlem neighborhood. The New York State Court of Appeals had ruled earlier that the state could transfer private property to the university in exchange for market-rate compensation for the current owners.

JUNE 2010...from The New York Times: Columbia University has won a major court victory for its $6.3 billion plan to build a satellite campus in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. New York’s highest court has ruled that the state is permitted to seize private property for the project. In a unanimous decision, the Court of Appeals overturned a lower court ruling that barred the state from using its power of eminent domain to take private property in the 17-acre expansion zone without the property owner’s consent. The ruling held that the courts must give deference to the state’s determination that the area was "blighted" and that condemnation on behalf of a university served a public purpose.

DECEMBER 2009...from The New York Times: A New York appeals court ruled has ruled that the state cannot use eminent domain on behalf of Columbia University to obtain parts of a 17-acre site in Upper Manhattan, setting back plans for a satellite campus. The school's $6.3 billion expansion plan is not dead; an appeal has been promised, and Columbia still controls most of the land.