how do i remove this metal piece where the old column shifter handle was?

 

Have you gone to console shifter, is that the reason for removing it? Is it just the top piece where the shift lever goes in that you want to remove? If so, there should be a pin that that piece pivots on. It probably is a splined pin which means it would be installed with the spline toward the top, so it would have to come back out toward the top. A straight punch just smaller than the pin and tapped out from the bottom would be my guess.

 

I would press it out with a small c clamp and a pin/nail. Hammering might break something.