Mamdani Threatens Lawsuit Over Locked Columbia University Gates

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is threatening legal action against Columbia University to compel the reopening of College Walk, a pedestrian pathway on its Morningside Heights campus that has been closed to the public for three years. The Mamdani administration indicated that it would pursue “prompt” legal action if the walkway, located on West 116th Street, is not immediately reopened, according to court documents filed Tuesday.

Mamdani stated at a press conference that his administration supports the reopening of the walkway, contrasting with the previous administration’s stance. The city had previously argued that College Walk did not require public access. This position was challenged by neighborhood residents who sued the university and the city in January 2025, asserting that the space was intended to remain public after its sale to the university decades prior.

Mamdani announced that the city has reached an agreement with the plaintiffs, which clarifies the original purpose of College Walk and commits the city to taking legal action if Columbia does not reopen it. The mayor emphasized that the decision is based on the decades-old agreement between the city and Columbia University to keep the walkway open for public access.

He noted that as someone who grew up near Columbia and whose father is a faculty member, he understands the impact of closing public space. “When you close what is public space in the very site that is supposed to be a protection for academic and public freedom, you are not only taking a very different path, but also quite literally, you are forcing so many members of the community to take very different paths to get around their day-to-day life,” Mamdani said.

A spokesperson for Columbia University defended the university's control over College Walk, stating in a release that the city and university have argued in court that College Walk is private property with limited public easement for municipal infrastructure. The spokesperson added, “As the property owner, Columbia has the legal right and responsibility to manage access to College Walk, including taking appropriate measures to protect our community and the continuity of our academic operations.”

The university's gates have been locked since the anti-Israel campus protests in 2023. The shift in the city's argument in the legal case was first reported by the Columbia Spectator.