Columbia Expansion Plan Gets Approval

The New York City Planning Commission voted yesterday to approve Columbia University's proposed 17-acre expansion in Harlem.

The commission voted for the plan 10 to 1. Irwin Cantor, appointed by the former president of Queens, Claire Schulman, abstained, citing concerns that the state could use eminent domain to secure the property in Harlem. The single dissenting vote came from Karen Phillips, appointed by the city's public advocate, Betsy Gotbaum. She voted for the local community board's plan, which contained some differences from the Columbia proposal.

The commission's chairwoman, Amanda Burden, said yesterday that the approved plan "meets the shared objectives of addressing the needs of an institution of major importance to the city while building on the strengths of the neighborhood and providing for new investment, jobs and public open space."