For many local residents in West Harlem who hope to find a job in construction—either as newcomers or as long-time workers looking for opportunities—one of the most prominent jobs in the area remains out of reach.

When Union Theological Seminary needed funds for a massive campus renovation, it turned to 350,000 square feet of land that it decided it could afford to sell.

In September 2014, thousands of student protesters flocked to the streets of Hong Kong after an announcement to implement reforms to the electoral system which would grant China’s Communist Party greater control over Hong Kong’s appointment of its Chief Executive, the highest elected office in the region. These thousands of unnamed faces flocked together, inadvertently instigating the Umbrella Movement, which would persist for the next three months.

A familiar community locus for residents looking for a quick bite, the McDonald’s restaurant on 125th Street and Broadway will close on Sept. 9, the store announced earlier this week. The building will be demolished and redeveloped as part of Columbia’s Manhattanville expansion.

New speed bumps and a crosswalk have been installed by the New York City Department of Transportation on 119th Street and Claremont Avenue following pressure from the car crash that killed former School of General Studies Dean Peter Awn. The development follows years of unclear communication and delays between neighborhood residents, Columbia, and the city.

Despite receiving millions in funding from Columbia, the West Harlem Development Corporation continues to face difficulties in creating and preserving affordable housing in the area, largely due to a lack of vacant land in District 9, according to the organization’s second three-year strategic plan.

As Columbia is in the midst of developing its $6.3 billion expansion into Manhattanville, questions have arisen over how the University will effectively address issues of affordable housing, employment, and education in its coexistence with the Harlem community.