From left: NYU president John Sexton, Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Preservation Society and New York State Sen. Tom Duane

Protesters were out in force this morning at the City Planning Commission’s sole public hearing on New York University’s proposed Greenwich Village expansion plan at the Financial District’s Museum of the American Indian. With posters and signage in tow, the project’s detractors seemed to far outweigh its supporters at the hearing, still ongoing, which marked the first stage of the mandatory review and approval process for the NYU plan. More than 200 people signed up to voice their views on the project, which includes the development of four new buildings on the blocks bounded by Laguardia Place and Mercer Street, and West Houston and West 3rd streets. [more]

From left: a rendering of NYU's plans, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Andrew Berman, head of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation

While Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer has done a lot to get New York University’s massive planned expansion pared down, residents say it’s simply not enough because the project retains its massive scale, the New York Press reported. Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, suggests that the university look to parts of the city that are in need of development rather than expanding in the same neighborhood, which, Berman said, is how other prominent universities have tackled development. [more]

From left: Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and GVSHP Executive Director Andrew Berman

New York University has agreed to scale back its controversial expansion plans by almost 20 percent, the New York Times reported. The university will reduce the combined square footage of its four planned new buildings on the blocks surrounded by Laguardia Place and Mercer, West Houston and West 3rd streets by 370,000 square feet to slightly more than 1.9 million square feet. [more]

A rendering of the proposed expansion of the Chelsea Market

The expansion proposal for the Chelsea Market was officially filed today with the Department of City Planning, a release from landlord Jamestown Properties said. This inaugurates a seven-month-long review and approval period for the plan, which would add 240,000 square feet of office space and a 90,000-square-foot hotel to the existing structure at 75 Ninth Avenue, between 15th and 16th streets. [more]

From left: Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, Andrew Berman of the Greenwich Village Society for Historical Preservation and a map of the Gansevoort Market Historical District

While Andrew Berman and the non-profit preservation group he heads, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, are among the most vocal opponents of New York University’s planned expansion in Greenwich Village, Berman and his cohort from the Greenwich Village Society were absent from a recent rally that Assembly member Deborah Glick held in the area opposing the expansion, Crain’s reported.  [more]

From left: Andrew Berman, executive director of Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation and the Chelsea Market

A coalition of neighborhood preservationists and other community groups are stepping up the fight against a plan to expand the Chelsea Market retail and office complex with a petition.

Jamestown Properties, the owners of Chelsea Market, have proposed adding a hotel and separate nine-story office tower on top of the existing land marked building at 75 Ninth Avenue, one of the largest and most successful retail and commercial complexes in New York. [more]

An eight-story, 33-unit, rental building slated to replace an antebellum row house at 316 East 3rd Street is expected to receive its new building permit within the next six weeks, the New York Times reported. The building will be designed by architect Karl Fischer.

“We plan to develop this underutilized asset into its highest use: a rental building. The acquisition price was below market, and with rising rents in the area, it was a great opportunity,” said developer Brody/Amirian.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission’s refusal to recognize the row house as a landmark has frustrated some community activists who say it held historical significance. [more]

From left: William Rudin, CEO of Rudin Management, a rendering of Rudin’s conversion of the St. Vincent’s hospital canvas, and Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden

Developer William Rudin said the “economics” of his company’s $1 billion conversion of the St. Vincent’s hospital campus into a 450-unit luxury residential development could not support affordable housing, as he came under fire from community officials for not doing enough to justify a requested rezoning of the Greenwich Village site.

Rudin, the CEO of Rudin Management, appeared today at the first public hearing in the uniform land use review procedure, or ULURP, to decide whether the developer can proceed with the controversial project, already four years in the making. [more]

In its bid to gain community favor for its 300,000-square-foot addition to the Chelsea Market, Jamestown Properties plans to attend a community board meeting tonight where locals are slated to sound off on the proposal, GlobeSt.com reported.

Jamestown bought out its partners, Angelo, Gordon & Co., Belvedere Capital and Irwin Cohen, in the mixed-use building for $225 million in February, and immediately embarked on a campaign to expand the market. The glass addition to the brick structure, at 75 Ninth Avenue, would have hotel and office space.

The addition is not expected to be approved without at least some resistance. [more]

Jared Kushner, a principal of the Kushner Companies, and the Puck BuildingThe city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission rejected developer Jared Kushner’s application to build atop the landmarked Puck Building in Soho yesterday, Crain’s reported, saying he will need to rethink his plans for rooftop additions to the 203,000-square-foot, mixed-use building at 295 Lafayette Street. They commented on a variety of concerns, a spokesperson said, including the bulk, scale and design of the proposal.

Kushner’s plan had involved redoing the top floors of the 10-story Romanesque Revival-style building and creating energy efficient penthouse units, Crain’s said. Kushner said he would continue to refine the design in accordance with the commission’s advice.
“We look forward to continue working together to achieve the right outcome for the building,” he said. [more]