Huge Turnout at NYU Hotel Tower Public Hearing
 Last night, over 200 people turned out to see NYU’s latest proposal for a 38-story, 385 ft. tall hotel/housing tower on Bleecker Street in the landmarked Silver Towers complex. The meeting lasted over 2 1/2 hours, with every public speaker expressing opposition to the NYU plan, which would result in the tallest tower ever constructed in Greenwich Village. See the coverage on NY1, The Real Deal Magazine, and from the Washington Square Village Tenants Association.
GVSHP raised objections to the plan, based upon its lack of compatibility with the landmarked Pei design, the need for NYU to take public land in order to build, the zoning change required which would vastly increase allowable commercial development including a hotel in a residential area, the plan’s incompatibility with the recommendations of the Community Task Force on NYU Development, and the viable alternative option (which NYU is thus far refusing to consider) of building in the Financial District instead where such development has been welcomed by local leaders. Thus far NYU’s main objection to considering the Financial District has been that this and other projects MUST be located in their main Washington Square campus, and not a distance away. However, a rudimentary review performed by GVSHP shows that many universities have facilities spread out over distances equal to or greater than that between Washington Square and the Financial District, thus making this argument ring hollow (see HERE). Based upon this, GVSHP and a dozen other community groups have written to NYU stating their opposition to this proposal while the university refuses to consider the Financial District alternative (see HERE).
This plan cannot move forward without approvals and public hearings by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the City Planning Commission, the City Council, and other government agencies, and none of the required applications have even been filed yet. There will be many future opportunities to weigh in on this and other aspects of the NYU 2031 Expansion Plan, and GVSHP will let you know as the process continues and how you can be involved.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
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