Council Signs Off on Fordham Expansion

NEW YORK CITY-Following its approval by two key City Council committees in early June, Fordham University’s plan to expand its campus near Lincoln Center by 1.5 million square feet passed the full Council on Tuesday. The plan as approved on Tuesday reflects both modifications, which the university agreed to in February and further changes hammered out with council member Gale Brewer in June. The bill goes to Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his signature.

Under the June 10 agreement with Brewer, Fordham will provide an open, contiguous 3,500-square-foot atrium space along the Columbus Avenue side of the campus, accessible to the public and capable of supporting commercial businesses; install an escalator at the main Columbus Avenue entrance; work with the community to ensure that businesses selected for the atrium are locally owned “mom and pops”; and ensure that all construction will meet LEED standards. Fordham has also agreed to lower the height of its tallest new residential building on Amsterdam Avenue to 598 feet, with the five other new buildings to be considerably lower.

“We are pleased, naturally, that the City Council recognizes the importance of Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus to the local community and to the city,” says university president Joseph McShane in a statement. “New Yorkers can be proud of their leaders and confident that city government will serve the greater good.”