<p>In 1959, at the urging of trustee Harold McGuire, the University initiated plans to build a gymnasium for Columbia College students that would sit on two acres of public land just inside Morningside Park. The New York Legislature approved Columbia&rsquo;s gymnasium plans, which included limited community access, in 1960. Initially, this project boasted the support of the administration, the University trustees, College alumni, the local community, and government officials. Unfortunately, fundraising delays held up construction of the building for several years, allowing interested parties ample time to revise their opinions about the project. By the mid-1960s, the University&rsquo;s allocation of public land for the project provoked increasingly negative feelings among government officials, community groups and Columbia students.</p>