GVSHP and neighborhood coalition proposes plan to limit NYU growth in the Village, NoHo, and East Village
The ongoing expansion in the Village, NoHo, and East Village of New York University — the largest private university in the United States — remains a huge concern to GVSHP, and to many of our neighbors. NYU, which currently occupies about 100 buildings between 2nd and 6th Avenues in the Village, has built a dozen new high-rises in the area since the early 1980’s, and has built or occupied all or part of more than 25 buildings during that time. Recently, NYU announced plans to build a 26-story dormitory on East 12th Street just off 4th Avenue, which would be the tallest building in the East Village (click here for more information).
GVSHP believes that under current conditions, NYU will only continue to expand, and gradually take over more and more of these neighborhoods. And while we see our institutions of higher learning as an important element in the character of our neighborhoods, we do not believe that NYU should become their overwhelming or defining trait, as current conditions allow.
That is why GVSHP, joined by a coalition of Village, NoHo, and East Village groups, are asking the City to work with NYU to find locations for one or more secondary campuses for the university outside of the Village, so that their future growth need not be limited to our neighborhoods (click here for letter to City officials). We believe that such a plan would not only benefit our neighborhoods immensely, but would benefit the City as a whole, and even NYU. We also believe that such a plan may be our only hope for preventing the increasing consumption of our neighborhood by NYU.
Community Boards 2 (Greenwich Village and NoHo) and 3 (East Village and Lower East Side) have scheduled hearings on this proposal, and we hope they will vote to support it.
A STRONG SHOWING AT THESE HEARINGS WILL SEND THE MESSAGE THAT OUR COMMUNITIES NEED AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE ONGOING AND CONTINUAL EXPANSION OF NYU.
HOW TO HELP:
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Please come to the Community Board hearings and speak IN FAVOR of this proposal, and urge the Boards to support it. HEARINGS ARE:
- Community Board #2 Zoning Committee, Thursday, Feb. 9th at 6:30 pm, at 75 Morton Street (near Greenwich St.)
- Community Board #3 Zoning and Housing Committee, Tuesday, Feb. 14th at Kenton Hall, 333 Bowery (btw. 2nd and 3rd Sts.)
- Full Community Board #3 Meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 28th at 6:30 pm, at Chinatown YMCA Beacon Ctr. at MS 131, 100 Hester St. (btw. Eldridge and Allen Sts.)
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Write to the Community Boards NOW urging them to support this proposal; click here for sample letters and contact information.
The Community Board hearings are the first critical step in what we expect to be a long campaign to protect our neighborhoods from institutional overdevelopment. Expect further updates soon from GVSHP about next steps.
Next: 02/10/06 |
