It looks like New York University won't be laying the groundwork for formal city approval of its ambitious 20-year expansion plan until the New Year.
To proceed with its plan to add 3 million square feet to its campus in Greenwich Village and areas around Washington Square Park, the university needs city zoning approvals. NYU had originally hoped to begin the lengthy public-approval process known as Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, which takes up to seven months, before the end of the year. But at the request of Community Board 2, NYU sent the board a letter on Nov. 3 indicating that it will postpone its plans.
“We were ready [to begin] at the end of November, early December, but received a request from the community board leadership and agreed to hold our submission until after the holidays, in January,” said Alicia Hurley, vice president of government affairs and community engagement at NYU.
The university's 2031 expansion plans have been opposed by preservationists and some local community groups, who believe that NYU is overbuilding in the neighborhood. In an effort to appease some opponents, in September NYU announced that it tweaked its plans and ensured that two city-owned plots along LaGuardia Place and Mercer Street, on the east and west sides of Washington Square Village, will remain parkland. It also said no portion of its two proposed academic buildings will rest on the parkland.
Read more: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20111111/REAL_ESTATE/111119969#ixzz1dmn1dWIm
