Columbia is making room for wildlife. The University is now in the early stages of planning a new sports center at Baker Athletic Complex in Inwood Park. The complex at 218th Street already features several stadiums, fields, and a boathouse. In addition to the new development, Columbia is partnering with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to launch a major restoration of the neighboring waterfront and salt marsh, which University officials say will preserve a valuable ecosystem and open the door to new wildlife. According to Daniel Held, director of communications for Columbia Facilities, the University is in "the early discussion and design stage of potentially building a new sports center, which would be less than 48,000 square feet." This development, Held said, would provide support for Columbia athletics with additional space for training and locker rooms. He added of the waterfront component of the project, "The community-based restoration will help restore the area's salt marsh, one of the only remaining salt marshes in Manhattan and a valuable ecosystem that has largely disappeared The construction of a fresh water marsh in combination with the river's salt water is an attractive environment for wildlife." Because the property is located on a waterfront lot, Columbia is required by the city's zoning regulations to provide waterfront access, according to Parks Department spokesperson Cristina DeLuca. She added that the department is still in discussions with the University about improving access to the public parkland. But Held, who said that the new park would be complete in roughly two years, noted that they are going beyond the access obligations mandated by the city. He said the restored marsh will function as a "floating classroom and living herbarium of the plant species that once flourished all over the valley," adding that the University hopes to forge ties with Inwood education programs for K-12 students. Some local politicians expressed support, though many added that much remains unclear about the development plans. Susan Russell, chief of operations for City Councilmember Robert Jackson—who represents parts of Inwood and Washington Heights—said that she was intrigued by the initial plans. "It's historic—a kind of taking space back to what it might have been," said Russell, who is also a resident in the area. Russell heard University officials present the project at a recent Community Board 12 meeting, and added of the plans, "It looks beautiful." In an October interview, Jackson said that he wouldn't make any judgments about the development until he knew more. CB12 District Manager Ebenezer Smith said that he received a range of feedback from the neighborhood. While Smith said that some residents expressed excitement, though others were skeptical of the early plans. Some residents, he said, have complained that there are many other concerns Columbia should address before it develops a new project. Referring to issues of traffic, noise, and bright lights from the stadium, Smith said, "People are upset with these ongoing problems," adding, "Some think they need to negotiate that." CB12 chair Pamela Palanque North said, "The jury is out until we have all the information that we need to determine whether or not this is a plan that truly does build a better relationship and more resources with the community." North wants to know how much space in the new facility and park development would be open public for public use. "Access is a critically important thing to determine," she added. Pat Young, a member of the Washington Heights Neighborhood Association, said that she didn't know the details, but added, "I think if there is any particular kind of expansion, they should share it with the community rather than expanding and making it an extension of their private property." For Amy Gavaris, executive vice president of the non-profit New York Restoration Project—which has helped restore several parks including the Swindler Cover along the Harlem River—Columbia's project may be a paradigm for restoring important ecosystems in the city, with a private organization partnering with a government agency. "It is as much symbolic as it is actual," she said of the potential restoration, adding that it not only preserves a small patch of marsh, but also teaches people to respect the environment. Gavaris said, "As a New Yorker, it is about the opportunity to go to the water's edge and really observe that there are still fragments of nature intact." news@columbiaspectator.com