The list of potential holdouts in the area where Columbia University plans its massive Manhattanville expansion is down to three, but will a nasty and possibly long Atlantic Yards-style battle over eminent domain develop? It's still possible. Two days after the City Council cleared the Columbia plan by a wide margin, opponents are still saying the university shouldn't seize property. Meanwhile, more than three dozen businesses have sold to Columbia, leaving two moving and storage businesses and the owner of two gas stations as the only holdouts. The University won't say if it's negotiating and hasn't ruled out having the state seize commercial property. It owns about 90 percent of the land and intends to leave three buildings standing on about 17 acres between 133rd Street in the north, 125th Street in the south and Riverside Drive on the west. Will a multi-year Ratner vs. DDDB-style standoff develop? Stay tuned.
· Despite Earlier Defiance, Holdouts in Columbia’s Expansion Zone Are Down to 3 [NYT]
· Politicians fear Columbia may use eminent domain to expand campus [NYDN]
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