Dozens rally against Columbia expansion

Upwards of 50 of protesters gathered outside Columbia University’s employment center yesterday evening, alleging that the university hasn’t lived up to its promise to create jobs as part of its $6.3 billion Manhattanville expansion, according to DNAinfo. As The Real Deal reported earlier this week, the Coalition to Preserve Community claims that it’s been repeatedly rebuffed in its efforts to obtain employment statistics from the employment center, which opened five years ago near the expansion site. Columbia received the green light to proceed with construction at the 17-acre site in December after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal by local businesses whose properties were to be seized through eminent domain. The university says it has already added many jobs for local, minority and female workers, and does plan to ultimately add 6,000 jobs. “The total [number of new staffers will be] fully realized when the new campus is complete,” the University said. [DNAinfo]