Columbia pulls out of $96 M West Harlem fund amid mismanagement and racism claims

In 2009 Columbia University pledged over $96 million to a newly formed nonprofit to compensate West Harlem residents displaced by its $6.3 billion Manhattanville campus project, which involved eminent-domain seizures. The entity, originally the West Harlem Local Development Corporation and later renamed the West Harlem Development Corporation, was expected to invest the money in affordable housing and broader community development, yet investigations show that almost none of the $20 million housing allocation has been spent.

Instead, the board has issued token grants—such as Thanksgiving turkeys and Broadway tickets for seniors—while the endowment has shrunk to $56 million after Columbia’s final $17 million tranche last year. Board member Larry English criticizes the failure to hire competent advisors, and the nonprofit now faces a federal lawsuit alleging racist and antisemitic behavior by executive director Zead Ramadan. Long-time chair Milton Tingling, also New York County Clerk, remains in charge despite the controversy, and Columbia declined to comment.