NYU’s expansion unaffected by Washington Square Village’s “historic” designation

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, Crain’s reported. 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. But NYU told The Real Deal last month that it doesn’t want to separate arts and science buildings from the core campus. The university said it was aware of the state’s determination and had already intended to work with state officials to gain approval. [Crain’s]