[NYguy]

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article...TATE/110419843

NYU's expansion plan hits pothole
New York state rules that Washington Square Village site where the school plans to add two new buildings
may be eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

By Amanda Fung
April 19, 2011

New York University's ambitious expansion plans for its core Greenwich Village campus may be even harder to pull off than the school originally expected. Opponents of the plans said Tuesday that the New York State Historic Preservation Office has ruled that the Washington Square Village site dominated by two sprawling apartment buildings—where NYU proposes adding two new buildings—is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. As a result, they said that NYU can't use state or federal money to build or demolish structures on the site.

Last month, NYU unveiled a new plan to replace an earlier proposal that envisioned building a fourth tower at a landmarked West Houston Street site called Silver Towers. NYU had to withdraw that plan, which involved erecting a 400-foot tall tower, after the three-building complex’s famed architect, I.M. Pei, disapproved of it. The new plan involves building two curved towers in Washington Square Village, which might now be entered in the National Register.

“We are well aware of the [State Historic Preservation Office] determination; in fact, we had met and conducted a site tour with the SHPO to ensure that all of these matters were fully understood as we undertake the environmental impact study,” said NYU, in a statement. “It's inaccurate to claim that the determination by the State Historic Preservation Office means that the project will not be successful.”

NYU expects to begin the public approval process for its new plan next month, when it will hold its first hearing regarding the environmental impact. One of the new buildings will be 14-stories high and located on the eastern edge of the site, along Mercer Street, and the other will be eight stories high and on the west side of the block, off the LaGuardia Place strip. NYU also plans to build a seven-story, 100,000-square-foot New York City public school in place of what is now a Morton William's supermarket, located at the corner of Bleecker Street and LaGuardia Place, which the university has owned since 2001.

Critics say the latest ruling could pose a significant hurdle for those plans.

“This is another reason why NYU needs to look at other locations, such as downtown Manhattan, for their expansion,” said Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation.

NYU recently said it will begin the city's lengthy Uniform Land Use Review Procedure in the fall. NYU's 25-year growth plan calls for the addition of 6 million square feet. Half of that will be in Greenwich Village and areas surrounding Washington Square Park.