From left: Lynne Brown, senior vice president of NYU, NYU’s expansion rendering and Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation

New York University wants to prove it’s so valuable to Greenwich Village, that its expansion within the neighborhood will benefit everyone. The university commissioned a study by Appleseed, an independent New York-based economic research and analysis firm, that found academic institutions in Greenwich Village employ 10,350 people and dole out $611 million in annual payroll. Moreover, between March 2010 and March 2011 the city’s private colleges and universities created 6,000 new jobs even as employment decreased across the city. That’s particularly good news for Village residents, as 17 percent of those with jobs work in education, health care or social services in New York City, according to the report. TRD [more]

New York state ruled that Washington Square Village is eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, but New York University insists that won’t affect its expansion plans, according to Crain’s. As The Real Deal previously reported, NYU plans to build two new boomerang-shaped buildings on the campus superblock north of Bleecker Street, a staggered, zipper-shaped building on the block south of Bleecker Street and a 14-story building atop the Morton Williams supermarket currently in the area. The historic place designation means that federal and state funding can’t be used to demolish or build structures on the location. Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation told Crain’s that it’s another reason for NYU to look elsewhere to expand. ” class=”read-more-link”>[more]

From left: Andrew Berman, Alicia Hurley and NYU

The Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the New York University Silver Towers landscaping plan yesterday in a unanimous vote, the school announced last night. The plan, which includes a dog run, toddler park and increased vegetation in the area, was seen as an olive branch to community activists who have opposed the school’s 2031 expansion program. But Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, said that many in the community are further angered by the landscaping plan. “In their new location, the playground and dog run will interfere with what is now the pristine view of Picasso’s Sylvette sculpture,” Berman said. TRD [more]

Following community backlash to its initial Greenwich Village expansion plan, New York University today unveiled new scaled down renderings for a few buildings that are part of the school’s citywide growth scheme.

The university will present the revised plan for three buildings, rather than the four as initially proposed, to the public next week, and said it expects to begin the public approval process in May.

The plan, initiated in 2006 and known as “NYU 2031,” calls for 6 million square feet of growth, about half of which spans West 3rd to Houston streets, and LaGuardia Place to Mercer Street, within the heart of the Greenwich Village campus, said Lynne Brown, NYU’s senior vice president of public affairs at a press briefing this afternoon. [more]

From left: NYU’s Lynne Brown, a rendering of NYU’s proposed tower and GVSHP’s Andrew Berman

New York University withdrew its controversial application for a proposed fourth tower on Bleecker Street, the school announced today. Now, the university will begin work on its Uniform Land Use Review Procedure application, seeking approvals to build on the site currently occupied by the Morton Williams supermarket, on the blocks near Washington Square Park that are already owned by the University. “From the beginning, we sought a design for the Silver Towers block that was most respectful of [architect I.M.] Pei’s vision,” said Lynne Brown, NYU’s senior vice president. “Mr. Pei has now had a change of heart.” TRD [more]

From left: Andrew Berman of GVSHP, City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden, Landmarks Preservation Commissioner
Robert Tierney and a rendering of NYU’s proposed tower

In response to New York University’s recently filed application to the city for approval of a 400-foot-tall tower in the I.M. Pei-designed Silver Towers complex, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation has sent a letter to city officials stating the “unequivocal opposition of a broad range of community groups to this plan,” according to Andrew Berman, executive director of GVSHP. The letter — which was sent today to City Planning Commission Chair Amanda Burden, Landmarks Preservation Commission Chair Robert Tierney and a host of other government officials — urges the leaders not to support any requests for the tower, which, if approved, would be the tallest building ever erected in the village. A spokesperson for LPC said she could not comment on NYU’s application since it hadn’t been reviewed yet. GVSHP and other community are holding a rally and press conference Nov. 7 at the site of the planned tower, at Bleecker Street east of LaGuardia Place. Community Board 2′s Landmarks Committee will be voting on NYU’s application Nov. 8. TRD

[more]

Amanda Burden

The City Planning Commission unanimously approved one Queens and two Manhattan rezoning proposals yesterday, each of which is intended to preserve the residential character of the neighborhoods they cover, City Planning Chair Amanda Burden announced. The first Manhattan proposal covers six blocks of historic buildings on Washington and Greenwich streets, and the second extends protections along Third Avenue in the East Village by establis [more]

NYU’s Alicia Hurley and a rendering of the proposed fourth tower (building in the middle)

“Overtaxing,” “disturbing,” “untenable” and “a misfit for the community” were some of the choice words used last night by Greenwich Village residents to describe New York University’s expansion plans, particularly the school’s proposal to build a 38-story [more]

NYU’s Alicia Hurley and a rendering of the proposed fourth tower (building in the middle)

“Overtaxing,” “disturbing,” “untenable” and “a misfit for the community” were some of the choice words used last night by Greenwich Village residents to describe New York University’s expansion plans, particularly the school’s proposal to build a 38-story [more]

From left: a map of the NYU proposal, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, and NYU President John Sexton (click image for larger version of the map)

After last night’s open house unveiling of New York University’s 2031 expansion plan, critics are still reeling.
The school’s latest plans, which include building two so-called “superblocks” in the Washington Square Park neighborhood and possibly establishing a remote academic center on Governors Island, drew a glut of opposition from groups including the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, the East Village Community Coalition and the Washington Square Village Tenants Association, which all attended the open house.
Prior to the event yesterday, the sixth of its kind that the school has hosted, Andrew Berman, executive director for the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, held a press conference to speak out against NYU’s plans.
But he’s not stopping there. [more]