Studebaker Building

Details

Columbia University currently occupies six floors of space in the six-story building at 615 West 131st Street, which was constructed in 1923 as a state-of-the-art Studebaker automobile finishing facility.

The original purpose of the building—to put the final touches on newly manufactured cars before shipping to east-coast dealers—is evident in its dimensions and solid, all-concrete structure. The Studebaker logo that was used on car models between 1912-34 is still visible on the top of the building exterior.

After Studebaker moved out in the late 1930s, the building became a Borden milk processing plant. Later, a variety of small businesses occupied office space in Studebaker, including the Madame Alexander Doll Company, which painted interior floors and columns an eye-catching pink to match the color of their famous doll boxes.

Columbia University staff members have been working in Studebaker for about 20 years in departments from data processing to printing. Another building occupant was the Museum of Natural History, which housed part of its Polynesian antiquities collection on the first floor; the collection was relocated before renovations began on the upper floors.

The U.S. Green Building Council has certified Studebaker as LEED Silver for Commercial Interiors, the green benchmark for certifying high-performance green interiors that are healthy, productive places to work, are less costly to operate and maintain, and have a reduced environmental footprint.

Building Conveniences
Emergency Contacts

Manhattanville Campus
212-853-3301
Emergency: 3-3333

Morningside Campus
212-854-2797
Emergency: 4-5555

Medical Center Campus
212-305-8100
Emergency: 305-7979

Lamont-Doherty Campus
845-359-2900
Emergency: 555

New York City Emergency Response Agencies (Police Department, Fire Department, E.M.S.)
911

26th Police Precinct 
212-678-1311  

Public Safety and Security in the Studebaker Building

Columbia's Public Safety maintains a strong presence in the area and has taken a number of measures to maintain a high level of security in the building and the surrounding area.

Building Access 
A public safety officer is in the lobby of the building 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Employees need their Columbia University identification card to enter the building. 

Vehicle Patrol 
Public Safety maintains round the clock vehicle patrol in the Manhattanville area, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Manhattanville Campus Escort Service
Manhattanville Public Safety provides an evening escort service to faculty, staff, and students at Manhattanville, from 7:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. The service accompanies you from any Manhattanville Campus building to the 1 train subway station at 125th Street and Broadway. To request an escort, call the Manhattanville Operations Center non-emergency line at 212-853-3301.

Manhattanville Operations Center
Located at 3270 Broadway between 131st and 132nd Streets, the Columbia Public Safety Operations Center is staffed and operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It coordinates campus area patrols and responds to calls for assistance. It also provides a full range of services such as lost and found, University ID Card access issues, investigations, and crime prevention programs.

Police Precincts 
The Department of Public Safety maintains an excellent liaison with the 26th Police Precinct as well as other local precincts and fire companies, including cooperating in crime prevention strategies. The 26th Precinct is located on West 126th Street, between Old Broadway and Amsterdam Ave.