Press Conference and Open House Tomorrow on NYU Expansion Plan
 Please join GVSHP and a dozen other community groups tomorrow, Wed. April 14 for a press conference at 4:45 P.M. to highlight our opposition to many aspects of the NYU 2031 Expansion Plan. The press conference will take place in front of the Kimmel Center at LaGuardia Place and Washington Square South prior to the 5:30 P.M. start of the NYU Open House where they will present the university’s 2031 Expansion Plan. The plan is now on-line, so you can view it in advance HERE (a shortcut to much of the most relevant information can be found HERE). If you cannot make the press conference at 4:45, we still encourage you to attend the Open House from 5:30 to 8 P.M., and to attend and speak out at the Community Board #2 Arts and Institutions Committee Hearing on the NYU 2031 Plan on Monday, April 19 at 6:30 P.M. at P.S. 41, 116 West 11th Street (6th/7th Avenues).
The NYU 2031 Expansion Plan includes several very disturbing elements, including:
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Adding 3 mil. sq. ft. of space to the Village and surrounding area — double NYU’s growth rate of recent decades, and the equivalent of 4 1/2 Javits Convention Centers
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Building a 40-story hotel tower on Bleecker Street — the tallest building ever in the Village
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Abolishing long-standing neighborhood zoning protections which preserve open space
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Seeking unprecedented approvals for large-scale construction on landmarked spaces
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1 to 1.5 mil. sq. ft. of space which be added to unspecified locations throughout the Village, East Village, Union Square, and surrounding area
GVSHP and other community groups have been meeting with NYU for over three years to discuss the formulation of this plan through a task force convened by Borough President Stringer. Unfortunately, the NYU 2031 Plan largely ignores this group’s recommendations, such as:
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If NYU MUST expand, put new growth in satellite campuses
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Stop oversaturation of facilities in the Village
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3 mil. sq. ft. of additional space or anything like it is way too much for the Village
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Respect the low scale and historic character of the neighborhood
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Preserve open space
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Provide specifics about development plans
Fortunately, many of NYU’s plans require public approvals by the City Council, the City Planning Commission, and the Borough President, so the public can have an impact on how and if those plans do move ahead.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
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