As Columbia’s vision for expansion moves from the realm of possibility to seeming inevitability, community members opposed to the plan remain divided—some poised to continue the resistance, while others have come to the table for dialogue.

In recent months, the gap between the views of community board members and those of the Coalition to Preserve Community, a local group that continues to express unrelenting opposition to Columbia’s plans, only seems to widen. Community Board 9, which includes a vocal handful of CPC members, has been caught in a tug-of-war as it tries to balance members’ concerns with a pragmatic approach of coping, while the face of the neighborhood begins to change.

When the New York City Council gave the green light to Columbia’s expansion proposal in December, the vote also approved CB9’s plan, a comprehensive design for development within the entire Manhattanville district from West 110th to West 155th Streets. But CB9’s plan—which laid out height restrictions and affordable housing policies, among others—had been drastically modified by the City Planning Commission to leave out the entirety of the expansion area.

Although many of CB9’s 50 community representatives remain dissatisfied with the City Council vote, priorities have shifted to obtaining community benefits from Columbia rather than attempting to thwart the future expansion.

The West Harlem Local Development Corporation, a local group formed to negotiate community benefits between Columbia and the neighborhood in the wake of the Manhattanville project, has served a crucial but contentious role, particularly over the past several months. Members of the LDC, which includes several from CB9, agreed to a $150-million memorandum of understanding preceding the City Council vote, but they have yet to draft a more detailed and legally enforceable contract.

As the LDC has grown rife with controversy, CPC leaders have distanced themselves from the organization, and several—most notably, DeMott and the Rev. Earl Kooperkamp—resigned in protest.

For CPC members, the fundamental goal to halt Columbia’s progress remains the same. The group is now seeking to prevent the University from raising the $7 billion it needs to build. Members are busy at work spreading its message to alumni and potential donors.

CPC leader Tom DeMott, CC ’80, said at a recent Coalition meeting attended by around 100 people that many alumni “are not interested in their institution ... using eminent domain [and] displacing people.”

The University has maintained that it will not use eminent domain on residents, but has said it may ask the state to invoke eminent domain if it cannot successfully negotiate with all businesses in the footprint. Only three private properties remain, and University officials have said they expect agreements to be reached in the near future.

DeMott acknowledged the differences between his goals and those of CB9. “A local advocacy group, a coalition like the CPC, obviously has a different way of operating than a government agency of a community board,” he said. “We have seen a great unity about the concerns about the Columbia expansion, and I expect that to continue.”

CB9 criticism of the LDC has splintered local views further, becoming a common topic of debate at monthly meetings.

Upon assuming her role as chair of CB9 in January, Pat Jones stepped down as president of the LDC. Yet she remains an LDC member, and her response to concerns thus far has attracted criticism.

“The issues of the lack of transparency, the lack of democracy, the lack of accountability I think right or wrong will carry over with Pat with this new position because of her rather intimate involvement with some of the worst aspects of the LDC,” Harlem Tenants Council President Nellie Bailey explained, although she cautioned against judging Jones’ actions too soon.

Jones maintained that CB9 and LDC are and will remain entirely separate organizations. “It’s inappropriate to confuse the LDC with the community board, which many people have,” Jones said.

For CB9 member Vicky Gholson, the clashes have had a profound effect. “At the end of the day we’ve lost focus,” she said, pointing to petty criticism as destructive rather than productive. “Our focus has got to be what is going to increase the quality of life for all the residents that are within the community board area.”