NEW YORK — The Empire State Development Corp. (ESDC) has given preliminary approval to Columbia University’s plan to build new housing, laboratories and other facilities in West Harlem, which may force some property owners to give up their land — an issue which is somewhat related to Atlantic Yards.

The agency also ruled that two studies had found the neighborhood where Columbia wants to build is full of old, obsolete buildings in deteriorating condition. Declaring the area blighted gives the state the power to force the sale of private owners’ land needed for the expansion.

Two property owners say they don’t want to sell to Columbia, and have vowed to fight the expansion in court.

This issue is basically similar to the Atlantic Yards battle in Brooklyn, since opponents of that sports-housing-office proposal have also filed suit against the possibility of eminent domain.

Indeed, protesters against the “abuse of eminent domain� from West Harlem, the areas in the “footprint� of the Atlantic Yards, and a relatively small area in Willets Point, Queens, joined together last year for a press conference outside City Hall. In Willets Point, residents said at the press conference, private developers were seeking to gain control of private homes to build a mall and hotel.

All three areas have been described as being “blighted� in official documents — a characterization contested by local residents.

At that same press conference, Brooklyn’s Councilwoman Letitia James, a tough opponent of Atlantic Yards, was joined by Councilman Tony Avella, who represents Willets Point, and West Harlem leader Nellie Hester Bailey, who charged that Columbia’s plans for a biotech center would expose minority children to toxic agents.

On Friday, Candice Carponter of Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn, a major group opposing Atlantic Yards, told the Eagle that in both cases, “The ESDC is trying to use eminent domain for private gain. It’s business as usual for them.�

— Associated Press And Raanan Geberer of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle

© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2008
All materials posted on BrooklynEagle.com are protected by United States copyright law.
Just a reminder, though -- It’s not considered polite to paste the entire story on your blog. Most blogs post a summary or the first paragraph,( 40 words) then post a link to the rest of the story. That helps increase click-throughs for everyone, and minimizes copyright issues. So please keep posting, but not the entire article. arturc at att.net

Main Office 718 422 7400