Panelists Call For Alternative Plans for NYU 2031 Expansion

NEW YORK CITY-The challenge between preservation and new development has historically been a balancing act in Greenwich Village – and with New York University’s long-term expansion plan before the city’s land use process, that trend is no exception. After being voted down by Manhattan’s Community Board 2, the benefits and drawbacks of the school’s core project were discussed during the Municipal Art Society of New York’s “The University in the Neighborhood: Debating NYU’s Expansion Plan” at the Scholastic Auditorium in SoHo on Tuesday evening, where panelists said density, alternative site selection and open space need to be considered before the City Council gives the plan the green light.

“It is important that we look at this in its full-dimension rather than just a real estate deal,” said Ronald Shiffman, a professor at Pratt’s Graduate Center for Planning, suggesting that sites in the Bronx, Brooklyn and other areas should be looked at for the school’s real estate requirements, suggesting that NYU could be a “stabilizing force” in areas in need of economic investment.