New York U. Woos Neighbors as It Plans for Future Space Needs

New York University served sparkling wine and punch last week while 300 Greenwich Village residents looked over posters explaining why the university anticipates needing at least six million more square feet of space over the next 25 years.

NYU officials told The New York Times that the event was part of an effort to shape the university’s growth more deliberately and give the community more of a say. A team of architects and planners is creating a strategic plan for the university, but NYU is also discussing its growth with a committee of community leaders.

Some of those who attended last week’s event said it was a step in the right direction for the 40,000-student university, which has buildings throughout the densely packed Greenwich Village neighborhood. But many remain cautious in light of promises they say the university has broken in the past. And some projects are still sore points, including what one critic says is an “inexcusable” 26-story residence hall under construction on a side-street site formerly occupied by a church.