Stay Informed
Find NYU 2031 presentations and documents related to our public approval process.
Explore the many statments of support being voiced by members of the New York City community.
Keep up-to-date on the latest events and initiatives for community members with the NYU's Office of Government and Community Affairs.
Find useful information about the University's construction projects, including renderings, announcements, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Contact Us
Office of Government and Community Affairs
212-998-2400
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NYU 2031: NYU in NYC is a long-term strategic framework for growth, aiming to be a thoughtful, comprehensive, city-wide vision for thinking about how to keep the University moving forward academically while respecting the communities and the city in which we make our home.
Looking to the Future
University Space Priorities Working Group
The next stage of planning for the core, including the development of new space and the renovation of existing space, is being guided by the University Space Priorities Working Group, which is made up of faculty representatives appointed by NYU’s schools and the Faculty Senators Council, as well as students and administrators.
Documents submitted to the Working Group for their review, video from their Town Hall meetings, their communications, and other information can be found on their website »
Updates and Announcements
Update on Core Plan Commitments
June 13, 2013
NYU continues to make progress on various commitments related to its city-approved Core Plan. The most recent progress markers involve the following initiatives:
Washington Square Village Community Facility: Following a planning study and meetings with the Washington Square Village (WSV) Tenants’ Association, NYU has begun renovations in 4 WSV to create a 6,000-square-foot children's daycare, directed of Creative Steps/University Settlement, and in 3 WSV to create a 900-square foot senior care office, a home for Visiting Neighbors. See more »
Open Spaces and Parkland: A legal challenge which had impeded NYU from carrying out commitments at the Sasaki Garden has been dismissed, and a study is currently underway to establish next steps. In the immediate term, improvements such as the renovation of the founatain are underway. Regarding commitments at LMNOP, the Bleecker Street Seating Area, and the LaGuardia Temporary Playground, the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation and the sites’ architects are setting up meetings with the Open Space Oversight Organization (OSOO) to establish next steps.
OSOO: New York State has confirmed the OSOO's not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) status, and the group held an organizational meeting on May 1, 2013.
For a detailed description of these and other ULURP commitments and milestones, visit our tracking document, which is updated regularly.
Update on Community Facilities
May 1, 2013
NYU is proposing a plan to convert space in Washington Square Village for community use, not only fulfilling but exceeding commitments made during the City Council’s approval of the University’s Core Plan. Two community facilities are being proposed: a new 6,000 square foot daycare center in WSV4, run by Creative Steps and University Settlement, and a headquarters in WSV3 for the senior care organization Visiting Neighbors.
Download the full text of the proposal here. If you have any questions or comments regarding this proposal, please contact Community Affairs.
Update on the NYU Core Plan
May 1, 2013
New York State has certified the Open Space Oversight Organization (OSOO) as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3). Its members gathered in an inaugural meeting and were briefed on the status of the organization.
Update on the NYU Core Plan
Spring, 2013
Supreme Court Justice Donna Mills has dismissed a request for discovery brought about by petitioners in an Article 78 lawsuit seeking to overturn the City Council’s July 2012 approval of NYU's ULURP application. In February, the petitioners had asked the court to approve a discovery motion requiring the City and NYU to disclose documents which would, they asserted, prove that parcels of land on the superblocks are in fact parkland, despite being owned by the Department of Transportation. The City and NYU argued in return that the discovery request was burdensome, overbroad, and not necessary for the court's ruling on the lawsuit.
Update on the NYU Core Plan
Winter, 2013
State Supreme Court Justice Ellen Coin has dismissed a lawsuit levied by tenants of Washington Square Village, saying both that the suit is premature because NYU’s plans have not been so much as drafted yet, and that the issues raised should first be brought before the State's housing regulatory agency, the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR).
In a separate matter, petitioners in an Article 78 suit against New York City, citing an affidavit filed by former City Parks Commissioner Henry Stern, have asked the court to approve a discovery motion requiring the City and NYU to disclose documents which would, they assert, prove that the four Department of Transportation-owned strips of land on the superblocks are in fact parkland. The City and NYU argue that the petitioners' discovery requests are burdensome and overbroad, and that new discovery is not required to decide the lawsuit.
Update on the NYU Core Plan
Autumn, 2012
Community groups and NYU faculty members have filed an Article 78 lawsuit against New York City, seeking to overturn the City Council’s July 2012 approval of the NYU Core Plan ULURP. NYU is listed as a “necessary third party” in the documents filed. The petitioners argue that the ULURP should be invalidated for several reasons, including that part of the superblocks are parkland, in which case a zoning change would require approval of the State Legislature; that the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was deficient; that the City did not follow the ULURP statute; and that the City violated the Open Meetings Law. The City's response points out that none of the superblock areas is parkland; asserts that the City Council and other agencies followed the ULURP law correctly; reiterates that the EIS was properly completed; and maintains that the zoning action should be upheld.
Update on the NYU Core Plan
Summer, 2012
Tenants at Washington Square Village have filed a lawsuit to block NYU’s expansion. Occupants of rent-stabilized apartments in the WSV towers are arguing that the plan would deprive them of exclusive use of the Washington Square Village courtyard, which they claim is ensured as a private open space for their use only under the city’s rent stabilization law. This claim does not reflect the reality of the courtyard, which has always been open to the public. NYU will argue for a dismissal of the suit.
Update on Commitments
February 4, 2013
NYU continues to make progress on various commitments related to its city-approved Core Plan. The most recent progress markers involve the following initiatives:
Washington Square Village community facility
LMNOP
Bleecker Street seating area
LaGuardia Temporary Playground
For a detailed description of these and other ULURP commitments and milestones, visit our tracking document, which is updated regularly.
Update on Commitments
January 7, 2013
NYU continues to make progress on various commitments related to its city-approved Core Plan. The most recent progress markers involve the following initiatives:
Open Space Oversight Organization (OSOO): NYU has submitted a 501(c)(3) Certificate of Incorporation to New York State for the OSOO, and appointees from each constituency have been finalized. An organizational meeting will be set by end of March 2013.
Updates to the School Construction Authority: NYU sent a letter (available for download) to the SCA providing current project details on December 21, 2012.
Mercer-Houston Dog Run Relocation: NYU has sent a Draft Term Sheet to the Mercer-Houston Dog Run Association.
Additional progress markers have been met for:
Washington Square Village Community Facility Development
LMNO(P) Improvements
Bleecker Street Seating Area Improvements
Public Open Spaces Maintenance Endowment
LaGuardia Temporary Playground
For a detailed description of these and other ULURP commitments and milestones, visit our tracking document, which is updated regularly.
Community Board Presentation on the NYU Core Plan
October 23, 2012
NYU presented the recently approved Core Plan at the Community Board 2 Arts & Institutions Committee on October 23rd. Along with a presentation walking the Community Board through the plan as it currently stands, the University also presented a simplified table of commitments made in the Restrictive Declaration that governs the project. A copy of the presentation, the table, and Restrictive Declaration can be found on this page. If you have questions, comments, or feedback about these materials please e-mail us at community.affairs@nyu.edu.
Statement from Alicia D. Hurley on the New York City Council Vote for Approval on the NYU Core Plan
July 25, 2012
Today's City Council vote in favor of NYU's 2031 Core plan marks the culmination of over five years of planning, hundreds of hours of meetings with our NYU and external communities, and successive iterations of our plans that were designed to strike a balance between allowing the University to meet its critical academic needs while being sensitive to our surrounding community. The University will now have the ability to plan for growth on its own property in Greenwich Village, complemented by expansion that is taking place in Downtown Brooklyn and near our Health Facilities on Manhattan's east side. This roadmap for where to plan future facilities will ensure a vibrant and strong University for the decades to come.
We recognize Council Member Margaret Chin's steadfast advocacy on behalf of the community and her hard work in balancing those concerns with the legitimate needs of the University to grow. The final approved plan provides necessary space for important academic uses – classrooms and other educational facilities, a new athletic facility, study areas, performance and theater spaces, and faculty office and research space, as well as student and faculty housing. The Councilwoman also required financial and procedural commitments on building and maintaining open spaces and providing community facilities oriented to children and seniors.
We look forward to working with Councilwoman Chin, Community groups, and valued stakeholders as we embark upon early enhancements to open spaces on the superblocks, the creation of the open space committee, and the creation of protocols for the construction advisory committee.
Today we thank the City Council Land Use Committee, and Council Member Margaret Chin for her leadership and vision in creating a plan that allows the University to grow on its own property while at the same time ensuring that Greenwich Village maintains its neighborhood character.
» NYU 2031 Core Plan Walkthrough
NYU 2031 Support in the News
May 01st, 2012
Real Deal: "It's Time to Move Forward with NYU's Scaled-back Superblock Proposal"
"The entire ambition of NYU 2031 (that year being coincident with the institution's 200th anniversary) is to develop properties already owned by the university. And as for ruining the West Village.... However well-intentioned and airy these two superblocks were supposed...
April 05th, 2012
New York Times: "Let NYU Expand in Its Backyard"
"New York University’s 44,000 students and 16,000-plus employees need more space. Many NYU educators are opposed to it, but we believe implacable opposition is misguided. NYU, along with other great educational institutions in New York, like Columbia, needs to expand....
April 05th, 2012
New York Observer: "NYU and the Village"
"New York University's vibrant presence in the Village, its diverse and creative student body and faculty, and its commitment to the civic culture of New York make it one of the city's genuine treasures. The university also has managed the...
March 27th, 2012
Washington Square News: "NYU 2031 Will Not Affect Village's Historical Charm"
To a Greenwich Village native, the notion of NYU erecting yet another architectural mishap in the middle of its historical blocks sounds nothing short of dystopian. But NYU and the Village are modernizing together. Its role as a historical quarter...
March 16th, 2012
Ed Koch, Daily News: "Greenwich Village, You Need NYU."
"NYU students make the Village what it is. They keep us at the center of thought; they keep us young, and keep the Village an interesting place in which to live. They keep New York competitive with the rest of...
March 16th, 2012
Crain's: "NYU Plan Makes the Grade"
"Higher education is an increasingly important element of the city's economy, and government has wisely nurtured its growth. NYU put forth an ambitious but thoughtfully designed plan that incorporates changes sought by critics of earlier versions. It should get the...
March 16th, 2012
The Villager: "Chamber Chief: NYU Plan Will Help Village Keep its Character"
"The Greenwich Village-Chelsea Chamber of Commerce and local construction unions wholeheartedly support the N.Y.U. 2031 Plan, and they held a news conference on City Hall’s steps Tuesday to say it loudly and clearly. "Backed by 25 burly hard hats holding...
March 16th, 2012
NY1: "Supporters Urge Manhattan Borough President to Back NYU Expansion Plan"
"Supporters of New York University's expansion plan, including members of the construction trade, rallied on the steps of City Hall on Tuesday to urge Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer to recommend the sweeping plan be approved. "'This plan means thousands...
March 12th, 2012
Daily News: "NYU's Expansion Plan Is Good For The School And For Greenwich Village."
March 19, 2012 "New York University wants to consolidate its position as a great national institution with a major upgrade of the facilities at its Greenwich Village campus. Its leadership should be commended for putting together a smart plan that...
March 08th, 2012
Update on NYU 2031: Looking Forward to Borough President Review
In February, Manhattan Community Board 2 issued a non-binding resolution recommending against approval of NYU’s ULURP application (“NYU Core”). The Community Board’s resolution, while disappointing, did not come as a surprise and we are now looking forward to broadening the...
March 08th, 2012
Local Support for the NYU Core Plan
We believe that our ongoing neighborhood outreach has yielded important results, and that support for the NYU Core plan is strong, not just citywide, but even in lower Manhattan districts that are closest to the proposed development. New polling data...
March 08th, 2012
NYU Support in the News
A Crain’s New York Business opinion piece in support of the NYU Core plan, authored by Greg David calls for approval of the plan, emphasizing that the expansion will play a major role in addressing one of the City’s greatest...
February 24th, 2012
Statement by NYU Vice President Alicia Hurley on Feb. 23, 2012 Community Board Resolution
On Thursday evening, February 23, New York University’s application was officially reviewed by Manhattan Community Board #2. And while they did not vote to approve the plan, we thank the Board for their time and energy and look forward to...
January 03rd, 2012
NYU 2031 Core Plans Certified by NYC's Department of City Planning
After five years of careful planning, coordination, and dialogue with the public, NYU’s proposal to add new academic facilities on its own property in the Washington Square area was certified today by the New York City Department of City Planning....
January 03rd, 2012
Upcoming Community Board 2 Hearings About the Plan
Below is a list of Community Board 2 Hearings regarding the NYU Core Plan. Land Use and Business Development Monday, January 9 at 6:00 PM AIA New York Chapter, 536 LaGuardia Pl. Tafel Hall Traffic and Transportation Tuesday, January 10...
» More News
NYU 2031 Core Plan Commitments
View a table of University commitments determined during the ULURP process surrounding construction on the Superblocks.
» NYU 2031 Core Plan Commitments
Updated June 6, 2013
Additional Core Plan Resources
» Final Approved Core Plan Summary
» Restrictive Declaration, July 24, 2012
» Letter on Commitments, July 16, 2012
» Final Environmental Impact Statement, May 25, 2012
» NYU Space Planning Fact Sheet, November 8, 2012
» Outreach for NYU 2031 Core Project
» University Space Priorities Working Group
NYU 2031 Overview Video
Planning Principles
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The Community Task Force on NYU Development created a set of principles that NYU has agreed will guide its future development.
Establish criteria for development within the existing NYU footprint in the University’s core location, and the surrounding neighborhoods that would prioritize.
— Identifying opportunities to decentralize facilities and actively pursuing these opportunities;
— Contextual development that is sensitive to building heights, densities, and materials;
— Reuse before new development.
— Considering mixed-use facilities that complement Manhattan’s mixed neighborhoods, particularly in regard to ground-floor uses.
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Identify solutions to maximize utilization of existing assets by consulting with the community on:
— The types of facilities that can be decentralized from the Village core and surrounding neighborhoods and cultivating locations outside these areas;
— Preferences for appropriate places for vertical additions;
— Encouraging programmatic and scheduling efficiencies; and
— Opening new and reenvisioning existing recreational spaces to better serve both the student population as well as the community at large.
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Make thoughtful urban and architectural design a priority by:
— Respecting the limitations of the urban environment, including the impact on New York City’s infrastructure;
— Improving the quality of open spaces; and
— Actively soliciting, utilizing, and implementing input from the community in the design process.
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Support community sustainability by:
— Preserving existing diverse social and economic character through the support of community efforts to sustain affordable housing and local retail;
— Exploring the utilization of ground floors of buildings for community-oriented uses such as local retail, gallery spaces for local artists, nonprofit users and other providers of community services; and
— Generating a tenant relocation policy for legal, residential tenants, in the event that construction or conversion necessitates the relocation of tenants.
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Respect for the community’s existing qualities of life including, but not limited to:
— Taking measures to mitigate effects of construction such as noise, dust, work hours; sound mitigation for mechanical equipment; and construction staging;
— Reaching out early and often for community consultation related to major construction;
— Creating a Web site for ongoing constructions; and
— Committing to a community-oriented public process for reviewing NYU’s proposed projects and developments.