Public Meeting on NYU Plan for 40-story Hotel on Bleecker Street June 21
A very important meeting will take place next Monday, June 21 at 6:30 pm at 75 Morton Street (at Greenwich Street) where NYU will present its plans for a 40-story hotel on Bleecker Street within the landmarked Silver Towers complex as part of its 20-year expansion plan, ‘NYU 2031.’
 I strongly urge you to attend. While this will be only the first of many public meetings and hearings on this proposal, it is important that NYU, elected officials, and the Community Board (which will be holding the meeting) hear from you. Some important points to be aware of:
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At 38 to 40 stories, the tower would be far and away the tallest ever erected in Greenwich Village
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Because it would function as a hotel, NYU would need zoning changes to allow commercial uses in an area currently zoned for residential use
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Because it is located within a landmarked complex (Silver Towers, designed by I.M. Pei, which includes one of only two outdoor Picasso sculptures in the Western Hemisphere), it would require unprecedented approvals from the Landmarks Preservation Commission
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The tower would be built partly on public space, and thus would require the City giving public land to NYU
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The Community Task Force on NYU Development, which met with NYU for over three years to provide feedback on its 2031 plan before it was released, strongly recommended AGAINST NYU building this tower, but the university has chosen to ignore this recommendation
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Community Board 1, representing the Financial District, has invited NYU to consider building this and other of its planned expansion projects in their neighborhood, where the scale and type of development NYU is proposing would be contextual and needed. NYU has thus far refused to consider this option.
To help understand what the proposed tower would look like in context, as well as NYU’s “zipper loft” building, proposed to be built adjacent to the Silver Towers complex, GVSHP has provided an animated model of what the two projects would look like if built, based upon information NYU has provided. CLICK HERE to view.
You might also want to read a recent article in Crain’s about NYU’s plan HERE.
We hope to see you on the 21st.
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