Ivy League University Screws the Working Man. (And Woman. And Historic District. And Blacks, Latinos, Students, and the Elderly.)

This is Harlem.

It's a historic neighborhood that, despite what early-90s films like "Who's the Man?" and "New Jack City" may have you believe, is clean and safe. West Harlem has also been the ancestral home of Black Americans, featuring hundreds of historic sites including the Hotel Theresa to the original Cotton Club to the Apollo Theater to the original site of the Savoy Ballroom to the Lenox Lounge to Sylvia's to the Schomburg Center, etc. Its most famous current and former residents range from Malcolm X to Mase, Zora Neale Hurston to Charles Mingus, Marcus Garvey to Maya Angelou and Tupac Shakur. West Harlem begins roughly around 125th Street, but goes as low as 110th Street in some areas.

This is Columbia.

Columbia is a multi-billion dollar private university located in Manhattan and famously strapped for space. Where is Columbia in Manhattan? Columbia lies within "Morningside Heights" or that mysterious area north of West 110th Street that's "not" West Harlem. (Though East Harlem starts on East 110th Street.) Columbia's campus ends at 121st Street. For the past few years, Columbia has tried to buy property immediately north of campus including a large chunk of historic property traditionally considered West Harlem. Homeowners refused. Community groups protested. Even members of the notoriously apathetic student body spoke out and participated in hunger strikes, though much of the projected construction was directly for their benefit and would alleviate the ridiculous housing crunch (and lack of research labs) facing the undergraduate population.

Columbia has also attempted to press the government to use eminent domain to take over parts of West Harlem for Columbia's use. While this tactic hasn't directly worked, the New York City Planning Commission approved Columbia's revised plan for expansion yesterday, including certain provisions that allow Columbia to press for the government to use eminent domain as necessary. Assuming the City Council approves the plan, Columbia will now own 17 acres of land in northwest Manhattan, driving out homeowners, driving up housing prices, closing community-owned stores, and effectively destroying the cultural climate of part of historic Manhattan.

According to Columbia's press release announcing the approved plan, Columbia is committed to not using eminent domain to relocate residents in the projected construction area, and even claims the following: "In addition, the University will commit $4 million to expand Columbia’s existing support for legal aid services to tenants in Manhattanville, including protection from unlawful eviction or harassment."

To view the Harlem Tenants' Council's response, check out HarlemLive.