U of M opts against another Central Corridor suit

University of Minnesota officials say they won't take additional legal action against the Met Council over concerns about the Central Corridor light rail line proposed to run through the east bank campus.

The statement from U president Robert Bruininks says in part: "Although we continue to have deep and fundamental concerns about the impact that light rail will have on our campus ... the University's Board of Regents chose not to file suit in federal court."

The U's lawsuit filed last fall in Hennepin County district court is still pending.

Bruininks says the U meets almost daily with Metropolitan Council representatives to try reach agreement about the issues raised in the state lawsuit over vibration and electromagnetic interference will affect sensitive lab equipment.

Lawsuits by a coalition of St. Paul neighborhood groups worried about gentrification the line might cause and by Minnesota Public Radio over terms of an agreement to mitigate effects on sound recording are still pending.

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