NEW YORK CITY-“Build it now” were the chants of business owners and construction workers voicing their support for New York University’s 2031 campus expansion plan on the steps of City Hall on Tuesday afternoon, urging Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer to pass a resolution supporting the development.

The gathering came three weeks after Community Board 2 unanimously voted down the university’s plan to develop approximately 2.5 million square feet across an NYU-owned superblock on West 3rd Street, West Houston Street, Mercer Street and LaGuardia Place. The board’s resolution was officially issued on March 12, and Stringer has 30 days upon receipt of the recommendation to support or oppose the project, as part of the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure.

Following the release of the resolution, members of the Greenwich Village-Chelsea Chamber of Commerce and the New York State Building and Construction Trade Council urged the BP and the general public to support the plan, citing its potential to generate more than $490 million in economic output and nearly $27 million annually in city taxes over the next 20 years, as well as 2,400 additional jobs every year.