Nick Sprayregen

Nick Sprayregen, the largest private property owner in Columbia’s Manhattanville campus footprint, is picking another battle with the University—he filed a lawsuit today against Columbia and the city over the University’s planned underground construction. The “bathtub,” as it is commonly called, is designed to be a contiguous space, running from 125th Street to 133rd Street and from Broadway to 12th Avenue, that extends seven stories below ground level.

Three members of the West Harlem Local Development Corporation announced their resignation Wednesday night, citing a lack of progress and corruption among local elected officials.

Manhattanville business owner Nick Sprayregen, whose refusal to sell his property has posed an obstacle to Columbia’s expansion plans, formally proposed a property swap with the University in a letter to the Empire State Development Corporation earlier this month.