First Community Board Meeting on NYU Expansion Forced to Relocate

NEW YORK—”I apologize greatly for this incredible inconvenience,” said Community Board 2 Chair Brad Hoylman. “We completely underestimated the crowd tonight.” 

Hoylman spoke to attendees at the Center for Architecture present for the New York University (NYU) expansion proposal in Greenwich Village.

While about 100 people listened inside, at least another hundred people waited outside. They made themselves known by pounding on the building’s glass facade.

The presentation was interrupted by community members insisting for a meeting relocation. Someone asked, “Why won’t you let these people in? This is supposed to be a public meeting.” Multiple requests for a meeting relocation followed by bursts of clapping forced Hoylman, to approve the relocation.

“I propose we move to a larger venue,” announced Hoylman. 

Twenty minutes later, the presentation continued at Our Lady of Pompei Church approximately four blocks away. 

On the walk over, Edy Selman, village resident and activist against the NYU expansion, said that underestimating the turn out didn’t make sense based on the nearly 500 people estimated by the event organizer who squeezed into the Center for Architecture on Jan. 4 for a public meeting about the expansion.

Hoylman said at the new location, “This is a testament to your community activism. We’ll make sure we plan appropriately [in the future]—the Javits Center,” he joked.

Even more community members turned out with the additional space. When the estimated 400 gathered were asked to raise their hands in support of the proposal, no one raised his or her hand. Hoylman then asked who was against the project; almost everyone raised his or her hand.

After the presentation, NYU representatives took notes, dozens of neighborhood residents and NYU staff commented on the proposal, assistants of elected officials—including Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn—were present; Andrew Berman, executive director of The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation stood nearby, looking solemn and ready for a long battle.

“[NYU] wants to spend 6 billion dollars in this decade making this part of Manhattan look like Dallas,” said New York University professor Mark Miller to applause. 

Making the area a “20-year construction zone,” bending zoning requirements meant to safeguard public health, and not even having support of NYU staff were among the reasons speakers listed their disapproval.

The plan, part of NYU 2031, would construct four new buildings on two superblocks, in a rectangle between West 3rd Street, Laguardia Place, West Houston Street, and Mercer Street. The plan would require zoning amendments for height and setback requirements, changes to the city map, and street elimination for the 2.5 million square feet of new construction—with over 1 million square feet below-grade. 

“We look forward to a constructive dialogue about that important balance with our neighbors as part of the ULURP process over the coming weeks,” said NYU Vice President Alicia Hurley in a press statement. 

The Uniform Land Use Review Procedure was invoked by the changes NYU seeks and is a seven-month process that began with certification by the Department of City Planning on Jan. 3 and includes review by the City Council.