| OPEN LETTER TO
PRESIDENT LEE BOLLINGER AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FROM COLUMBIA
FACULTY
As Columbia University faculty and residents of Morningside
Heights/Harlem, we share with other West Harlem residents serious concerns
about the university's current expansion plans. While we acknowledge the
university's recent growth and need for more space, we also recognize the
negative impact expansion into West Harlem will have on local residents
and businesses, especially if Columbia University proceeds without the
community's full and vigorous input. Representatives from Community Board
9 and members of the Coalition to Preserve Community have argued
persuasively that the university's plans will result in further
gentrification of West Harlem, rising housing costs, and the displacement
of local businesses and low-income residents. Property values in the area
are projected to increase by 300%, which means that landlords can more
aggressively force out tenants to make room for high end renters, thus
resulting in widespread secondary displacement. We find this unacceptable.
The threat alone has contributed to further deterioration of relations
between Columbia and the community--our community.
There is a solution. At the very minimum, we are calling on the university
to proceed according to the 197-A Plan adopted by Community Board 9, and
to enter into a Community Benefits Agreement with the Community Board.
As you know, Community Board 9 has been working on its 197-A Plan for over
12 years. The plan gives a thorough and documented picture of present
conditions within the district and recommendations for future action in
the area, such as the preservation of existing low-cost housing, job
creation, local economic development and protection of existing
businesses, and environmental sustainability.
Entering into a Community Benefits Agreement with local residents is an
essential step toward a more equitable solution. The kinds of concessions
the Community Board and the CPC are asking for--additional green space,
living-wage jobs, maintenance and some low-income housing, for
example--are not only just and reasonable, but they will enhance economic
development and strengthen community ties with Columbia University. And
there are precedents.
Recently, Harvard University entered into a similar agreement after it
planned to expand its campus and student housing facilities to the
neighborhood of Allston in Cambridge. In order to avert secondary
displacement, the university agreed to substantially fund a 50-unit
affordable housing development in Allston and to provide $20 million
dollars for low-interest loans to nonprofits dedicated to restoring and
building affordable housing. The money was split equally between Boston
and Cambridge. Harvard also pledged $5 million over five years to enhance
after-school programs in the Boston area. (Boston Globe, December 3, 2003)
In this case, Harvard offers a superior model for developing community
relations.
Not long ago, President Bollinger described
Columbia "as an institution that the communities can work with and trust
over time." (Spectator, October 27, 2003) But building trust requires
compromise and honest community engagement, not an "all or nothing"
posture which has thus far characterized the University's position. Good
faith support for CB 9's 197-A Plan and a Community Benefits Agreement is
a necessary step if the university wants to establish a relationship with
our community based on trust, good will and mutual respect.
Signed,
Concerned Faculty for Equitable Development
We ask that only Columbia University faculty sign this letter. We
will contact faculty via their Columbia email addresses to
confirm their signatures. The letter will be published as an ad in the
Columbia Spectator at the end of April.
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