PrintLast week, Columbia lost its eminent domain case, which went to court because the University failed to work out a deal with the owners of four Tuck-It-Away Self-Storage buildings and two gas stations. If the University can’t get the ruling overturned, they may have to build around the businesses, meaning we might have some storage facilities close to campus grounds (suck it, Collegeboxes). We’ll also have gas stations. Below are several more reasons to be optimistic about the decision:
1. Columbia dining spots have the tendency to carry over-priced pita chips and protein smoothies. Sometimes when you’ve been doing medical research for eight straight hours you just want a couple of Twinkies and nachos with pour-your-own cheese.
2. If Columbia goes through with the smoking ban, the gas stations could represent valuable pockets of smoking freedom. They could be the Carman benches of Manhattanville. Just don’t let any of those lit butts touch the gasoline.
3. At the current rate of construction, Manhattanville probably won’t be completed until sometime in the 2030s. At that point students will desperately need gas for their segway-jetpacks devices to take them up to their sky dorms.
4. Does it really matter who owns them, as long as they accept flex?