Columbia says it will move swiftly on Manhattanville expansion after setbacks

Despite numerous setbacks that have delayed development, Columbia University officials say they’re moving full steam ahead on the school’s Manhattanville expansion project, in the wake of the State Court of Appeals ruling in their favor June 24, according to Crain’s. The court’s decision, which authorizes the use of eminent domain in Columbia’s proposed $6.3 billion project, officially gave the school the green light on its 16-building expansion, which will stretch from Broadway to 12th Avenue and from 125th to 133rd streets. But the protracted court fight to gain development rights through eminent domain came with a price for Columbia: the school says it’s now years behind schedule, and swift action is needed to get back on track. The first phase of the project, a four-building cluster, for example, will miss its target completion date by five years, with estimates now showing it may not be finished until 2020. [Crain’s]