NEW YORK CITY-The battle over the expansion of New York University’s Greenwich Village campus continues to gain steam here, after a new study commissioned by NYU found that private academic institutions fuel the neighborhood’s local economy. But this isn’t anything new, says Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, an opponent of NYU’s 2031 long-term plan to add three million square feet throughout the Village, including 1.5 million square feet in the Washington Square core.

“It was no surprise that NYU commissioned and paid for a study that said what they wanted it to say,” Berman tells GlobeSt.com. The report, prepared by Appleseed, a New York City-based economic analysis firm, found that the Village’s universities--including NYU and the New School--employ approximately 10,350 people and generates an annual payroll of $611 million, attracting thousands of visitors and students alike.

And while the strength of the business and academic community is evident, concerns about open space preservation and overbuilding persist. “NYU clearly is a job creator, NYU clearly has a huge impact and they will have an even huger one if they build these millions and millions square feet of additional space,” Berman says. “The question is where is the best place for them to do it.”