Monday May 7th Deadline for Comments on NYU Plan
 This Monday, May 7th is the deadline for submitting written comments to the City Planning Commission (CPC) on NYU’s application to overturn neighborhood zoning protections, gut open space preservation requirements, lift urban renewal deed restrictions, and take public land in order to add 2.5 million sq. ft. of new development – the equivalent of the Empire State Building – to the blocks south of Washington Square Park. I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO WRITE TO THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION AND URGE THEM TO VOTE ‘NO’ ON THE NYU PLAN, AND ASK FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND NEIGHBORS TO DO THE SAME.
Last week, GVSHP and hundreds of New Yorkers, including neighbors, faculty, workers, and students of NYU, testified to the CPC against NYU’s massive plan. So many people testified that the meeting, which began at 10:30 am, did not end until nearly 8:30pm. Read GVSHP’s testimony HERE. GVSHP also submitted several reports to the CPC which refuted the bases of NYU’s claims for the need for their plan:
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A study commissioned by GVSHP by Gambit Consulting comparing the relative economic and environmental impacts of NYU’s proposed Village expansion and locating their expansion in the Financial District, Downtown Brooklyn, or Long Island City, which found that the drawbacks would be much greater and the benefits much lesser in the Village as compared to alternative locations – READ IT HERE.
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A study conducted by GVSHP of how other schools and cities have established satellite campuses to accommodate university growth, rather than shoehorning more space into historic, residential neighborhoods as NYU is proposing -- READ IT HERE.
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A study by GVSHP refuting NYU’s claim that their facilities must be concentrated within a 10-15 minute walk of Washington Square by showing how most schools across the country spread their facilities over much greater distances – READ IT HERE.
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A study by GVSHP documenting how NYU has eliminated hundreds of faculty housing units over the years even as it is now asking for approvals to build more faculty housing, claiming they lack sufficient numbers of units – READ IT HERE.
 The City Planning Commission MUST approve the plan in order for it to move ahead. From there, it must also be approved by the City Council in order for NYU to build ANY of their massive proposed Village expansion.
HOW TO HELP:
You can find out more about the NYU plan and the fight against it HERE. You can support the cause and make a contribution to GVSHP by clicking HERE.
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