NYU Expansion Wins Key Approval

NEW YORK CITY-New York University’s plan for expanding its main campus near Washington Square cleared a crucial hurdle Wednesday when the City Planning Commission voted 12-1 in favor of the proposal. The approval came with several modifications, including reduced building heights and the elimination of a hotel component in the proposed “zipper” building on Mercer Street.

The commission’s vote marks the next-to-last step in the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure; next will be consideration by the City Council. “Throughout the public review process, including more than 10 hours of testimony at the commission’s public hearing, we heard strong support for NYU’s need to grow and modernize its academic core in order to remain a globally competitive institution and economic anchor for New York City,” City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden says in a statement. “We also heard deep concerns from many stakeholders, including the community and local elected officials, regarding the scale of the proposal, and the project’s potential effects on residents’ quality of life.”