Negotiations force Columbia to increase bid
To win support for expansion from West Harlem community, university coughs up extra $50M
Before Columbia University could break new ground on its planned expansion in West Harlem, the university had to meet the needs of the local community — to the tune of $150 million.
Prior to receiving the City Council’s approval for its expansion on Dec. 19, Columbia had to increase its initial monetary offer for the community-benefits package fivefold, from $30 million to $150 million, the News has learned. Negotiating the final figure required many months of dialogue between the university and community leaders in the West Harlem Local Development Corporation — but a decision to...
Given how much public money gets funneled into the private sector by university research projects, it's good to see a community refuse to get taken hand over fist by the "benefit" of living near a cultural institution most residents don't have access to.
Talk about a total extortionate shakedown. If readers needed to know any more about why the socialist Northeast is losing population and jobs to the capitalist Southwest, here's why.
Some might say that the presence of a world-class university in itself constitutes a "community benefit" -- certainly there are dozens of cities that would love to have a Columbia located there -- and question why local residents should be entitled to millions of welfare dollars simply on account of their place of residence.