Avantika Kumar

Columbia produced an 11.5 percent return on its endowment this year, up from 2.3 percent last year, the University announced on Thursday. This puts Columbia's endowment at $8.2 billion for this year. 

A federal judge ruled on Monday that the New York Police Department's stop and frisk policy violated the constitutional rights of minorities, a major victory for Upper Manhattan politicians, who have unanimously opposed the controversial tactic.

New York City Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott did little to assuage concerns about co-locations at a West Harlem town hall meeting Wednesday.

The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine has selected a developer in its controversial project to build residential apartments on the north side of the cathedral grounds.

The number of overall applications to Columbia College and the School of Engineering and Applied Science for the class of 2017 increased 5 percent to 33,460, following last year's dip of almost 9 percent to 31,818 for the class of 2016.

Jessica Marinaccio, dean of undergraduate admissions and financial aid, said in a statement that she was pleased with the higher turnout of applicants. The total includes the number of early decision applications, which alone increased 1.3 percent from last year.

"We are thrilled that so many students are considering Columbia as one of their college choices and look forward to learning about these applicants over the course of the next few months as we continue with our review process," Marinaccio said.

The class of 2015—the first class to apply to Columbia that had the option of using the Common Application—received almost 35,000 applications, a record 33.4 percent increase from the previous year and a record high number of applications.

Dartmouth College is currently the only other Ivy League school to have released its application numbers for the class of 2017, which decreased about 3 percent, Bloomberg reported.

Student will be notified in late March.

avantika.kumar@columbiaspectator.com

The four candidates for Manhattan borough president discussed their platforms with Upper West Siders at a meeting of the Three Parks Independent Democrats Wednesday evening, touching on local issues including a controversial plan to build market-rate housing in affordable housing projects.

The forum, which filled the ballroom of the American Youth Hostel at Amsterdam Avenue and 104th Street, featured City Council members Gale Brewer, Robert Jackson, and Jessica Lappin, and former Community Board 1 chair Julie Menin, CC '89. Incumbent Scott Stringer is running for comptroller.

While the four candidates, all Democrats, share similar policy positions, they outlined different areas of focus as well as a range of diverse experiences.

Brewer, who currently represents the Upper West Side, said her long-term track record in local politics makes her uniquely qualified for the job, adding that she would continue to support small business, work to prevent "mallization," increase availability of permanent affordable housing, bolster a commitment to recycling and environmental awareness, and emphasize access to quality education and senior care.

Brewer also said that given her political experience, she knows the effort required to make lasting changes.

"They do not happen overnight," Brewer said.

Menin said that 9/11 "turned my life upside down," adding that a key aspect of her role as CB1 chair involved helping downtown recover from the disaster. One of her most prominent actions was to pass a resolution supporting the planned Islamic mosque and cultural center a few blocks from Ground Zero.

Menin said that the most important issues for the next borough president to focus on are reforming the current land use process, combating school overcrowding and the ongoing shortage of affordable housing, and reducing obesity and hunger rates in the city—especially in East Harlem.

Jackson, who represents Morningside Heights, Hamilton Heights, and part of Washington Heights, cited his experience in education policy as a central asset in his campaign.

"Education was my salvation," he said, recalling what he called a life-changing moment when his high school track coach gave him a scholarship application.

Jackson cited his lawsuit against the state for its school funding distribution, an anti-hydrofracking resolution, and his role in securing funding for the Sugar Hill housing project and Boys & Girls club as his major accomplishments.

Lappin, who represents the Upper East Side, said that keeping Manhattan affordable for the middle class is a key concern of hers. She said being raised in New York City by a single mother devoted to advocacy influenced her decision to "dedicate my life to public service."

"I believe in the power of government to help people," she said.

Lappin pointed to her achievements on the council—including pushing through laws regulating crisis pregnancy centers, improving train safety, and introducing a textile recycling program—and to the opening of several public schools.

"I'm a public-school graduate and a public-school mom," she said.

The forum, one of the first leading to the September primary, comes as the campaign is heating up.

Brewer, who signaled that she would run last year but only filed for the office in January and barely campaigned until earlier this month, is behind in fundraising and racing to catch up. According to returns filed Friday, she has only raised $48,000, compared to Jackson's $329,000, Lappin's $703,000, and Menin's $1,017,000.

Despite her fundraising disadvantage, the vote-rich Upper West Side will be a major prize in the race, potentially giving Brewer a boost.

"I think Gale's entering into the race changes the dynamic, because the West Side was up for grabs until she got in the game," State Democratic Committee member Daniel Marks Cohen, who attended the forum, said. "The question is whether she can make up for the lost time, because some of her opponents have been running for six months or a year."

"By the time voters are paying attention, hopefully she will be in a—at least in a stronger position than she is today," Cohen said.

Menin, who has been crisscrossing the borough campaigning for months, is notably ahead in fundraising and organization. She has received the lion's share of endorsements so far—even from some community leaders in Brewer, Jackson, and Lappin's home bases.

Meanwhile, Jackson's status as the only man in the race and the only person of color could give him a demographic advantage.

One of the most pressing issues discussed at the meeting was affordable housing, especially in light of the city housing authority's controversial plan to build market-rate housing in eight affordable housing complexes citywide. One of those complexes is the Upper West Side's Frederick Douglass Houses, just a few blocks away from where the candidate spoke to the Three Park Democrats.

The candidates all voiced concerns about the plan and the lack of resident input that went into the housing authority's plan. Brewer said residents and tenant leaders need legal aid for negotiations.

"These are very complicated negotiations," she said, adding that she hopes the plans would be "be changed dramatically."

Menin also objected to the proposed developments' potential encroachment on playground and park space at the developments, and developers' plans to place the entrances of the market-rate developments facing away from the affordable housing.

"What kind of message is that sending?" Menin asked.

Judy Wood, a Three Parks Democrats member who attended the forum, said she believes that Brewer is likely get the group's endorsement, given that "this neighborhood is very familiar" with and fond of her.

"We love her," Wood said.

avantika.kumar@columbiaspectator.com | @avantikaku

After stationery store Card-O-Mat folded over winter break, Columbia is looking to fill its shoes with a new retailer to join the Morningside Heights streetscape—much of which the University owns.

Columbia has hired executives from Winick Realty Group to help lease the 1,240-square-foot retail storefront on Broadway between 112th and 113th streets, the firm announced Tuesday. Winick's clients include national chains such as Starbucks Coffee, Duane Reade, AT&T, and Chipotle.

It's an interesting move on Columbia's behalf—Card-O-Mat's former owner has voiced concerns about the University's commitment to small businesses in the spaces it owns.

Rosalie Manning, who owned the store since it opened in 1993, said that the University was focused on "their bottom-line" instead of creating a small-business-friendly community.

"The reality is that 20 years ago, that certainly was their focus," Manning said. "There was a very different management in place, and from my knowledge, in those days, it definitely was their master plan, as they called it, to have a neighborhood for students of small businesses."

Though some local business owners say Columbia's support is instrumental to staying afloat, others, including Manning, feel that Columbia should do much more to support mom and pops like Card-O-Mat—especially as economic conditions have worsened for small businesses since around 2008.

Manning said that as the economy worsened, costs for transactions, goods, staff, and insurance became more daunting.

Among Columbia's small-business tenants, "I think the fervent hope was that, somehow, Columbia would make some accommodation" to lower rents, Manning said. She added that for other local businesses with non-Columbia landlords, "Every single one of those people, during that crisis, made adjustments for their tenants."

The University's tenants may have "feared a backlash from Columbia," she said.

According to the University, creating lively street life is one of its long-term goals. Columbia is currently the landlord for numerous small businesses on Broadway between 111th and 116th—including University Housewares, Book Culture, and Oren's Daily Roast.

"Columbia has a long-term retail strategy that favors small local businesses to help create a lively, energetic neighborhood that reflects the character of the people who live and work here," the University said in a statement.

Charles Trimboli, owner of Camille's on Amsterdam Avenue at 116th Street, said that while the restaurant has a good relationship overall with Columbia as a landlord, Columbia needs to be sure that it recognizes the difficulties small businesses now face—including rising insurance, food and labor costs, and real-estate taxes—and that it keeps its rents somewhat reasonable.

"Things are a lot more difficult for local businesses now," Trimboli, who has operated Camille's for around 20 years, said. "Columbia would have to be cognizant of that."

Though Manning and Trimboli emphasized the need for Columbia to be aware of small businesses' struggles, several business owners agree that Columbia has encouraged small businesses and that Columbia's involvement has helped maintain the unique character of Morningside Heights.

Jim Ma, manager of the family-owned Janoff's Office and Art Supplies on Broadway between 111th and 112th streets, said that on his Columbia-owned block, "any of the store owners, they're all very happy."

"Columbia is more than reasonable," Ma said, adding that most of the unhappy store managers he knows don't have Columbia as a landlord. "They're the ones that get driven out and treated pretty unfairly."

Columbia tenant Cathy Hawkins, co-owner of Liberty House on Broadway at 112th Street, said she felt that Columbia works with smaller businesses to develop a "college atmosphere."

"I've always felt that they really wanted us here," she said. Liberty House has operated on the Upper West Side since the late 1960s, and opened the Morningside Heights store in 1998.

"So far no trustee has offered to pay our rent," she joked. "But no, I've always really felt that they liked how we enhanced the neighborhood and the service that we provide."

Hikmat Hasan, part owner and manager of Samad's Gourmet on Broadway between 111th and 112th streets, which has been in the neighborhood since 1972 but is not owned by Columbia, agreed.

"Private landlords—they're becoming too greedy and they only care about money," Hasan said. "Columbia—they care about the community and about the neighborhood, and they need the right people at the right spaces."

University Housewares manager Bob Fendell also had no complaints about his partnership with Columbia.

"They're good landlords," Fendell said. "They're nice, they're fair, which is all you can ask for."

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The neighborhoods surrounding Columbia—the four neighborhoods Spectator covers—are home to their own rich histories, diverse residents, and local controversies.