The New York Court of Appeals ruled last week that the state can seize private property on behalf of Columbia University, which wants to expand its campus into Harlem.
The decision overturns a lower court ruling that found in favor of six property owners who did not want to sell to the Ivy League school.
Lawyer Norman Siegel, who represents plaintiffs suing the Empire State Development Corp., which would seize the property on behalf of Columbia, said he plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
If Columbia ultimately prevails, the $6.3 billion expansion on 17 acres could be partially financed through the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York.
New York is one of a handful of states that have not restricted eminent domain laws following a 2005 Supreme Court decision that said states can seize private property on behalf of other private parties.
