Community Meeting on Preserving & Protecting University Place/Broadway Corridors this Thursday, 12/4
 Please join GVSHP and local community leaders and elected officials at a public meeting GVSHP will be hosting this Thursday, December 4th at 6pm at the Baha'i Center, 53 East 11th Street (east of University Place) on the need to preserve and protect the University Place and Broadway corridors from overdevelopment. A flyer for the meeting is here.
Plans have recently been announced for construction of a 23-story, 308 ft. tall residential tower at the Bowlmor site at University Place and 12th Street (NYU's controversial "mega-dorm" erected a few years ago on 12th Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues is, by contrast, about 250 ft. tall). Unfortunately, due to a lack of landmark or adequate zoning protections for this area (see map), such a development can be entirely legal, requiring no public review or approval. In fact, under existing conditions, a development in this area could be even taller, and could be a hotel or dorm.
That is why GVSHP will be holding the meeting on Thursday to discuss potential zoning changes and landmarking proposals which would help preserve the historic character of the area and ensure that any new development is in context with the existing neighborhood, such as those which most of the rest of the Village already enjoys (see map). You can read more about the need for such changes in this recent op-ed in The Villager newspaper here.
A strong turnout at the meeting will be important to send a message to city officials that residents want changes to better protect their neighborhood's character. It is also important that GVSHP hear from neighborhood residents about what kind of zoning changes or landmark proposals you would or would not support and like us to pursue. This is a chance for you to ask questions, find out more, and let your voice be heard.
You can also find out more about this issue, the fight against the NYU expansion plan, and the recent plan by the city to "de-calendar" a hundred proposed landmarks on the Leonard Lopate show today with GVSHP Executive Director Andrew Berman. The segment will begin around 1:20 pm and run until about 2. You can listen to WNYC AM820/93.9 FM (and again at about 1:20 am on 93.9 FM) or at www.wnyc.org/story/overdevelopment-101/, where you can also leave a comment. Call in to 212-433-9692 with questions or comments during the show.
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