— Project to Designate Nearly 40,000 Sq Ft of Public Parkland to be Used and Enjoyed by University Community and Neighborhood —

Today NYU will present its plans to add a net new 3.1 acres of publicly accessible open space to Greenwich Village, an increase that will improve the area’s open space ratio. The presentation will be given to Community Board 2’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space Committee as the University continues to promote its NYU Core strategy as part of the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP).

The project will also lead to the designation of nearly 40,000 square feet of Public Parkland. The total newly built, existing but improved, and mapped parkland will total over four acres of public space to be used and enjoyed by the University community and the neighborhood.

The landscape improvements on the University-owned ‘superblocks’ bordered by West 3rd Street, West Houston Street, Mercer Street and LaGuardia Place include commodious and welcoming pedestrian entries at sidewalk level, the rebuilding of the current playground and dog run at equal or larger sizes, an unfolding experience from sidewalk to sidewalk much like a public garden, and a more welcoming material language within the space – including quiet seating areas for residents and      neighbors to enjoy, pathways, lawns, flowerbeds, and an increase of the number of trees on the blocks from 485 to 675.  (See attached renderings)

“Functional, accessible open space is a vital resource in creating an interconnected community,” said Alicia Hurley, Vice President for University Relations and Public Affairs.  “With this in mind, the NYU Core plan’s open space component aims to create inviting public space that is accessible, diversified, and beneficial to the community.”

Last week, after a five-year planning process and dialogue with its neighbors, the University’s NYU Core proposal for new academic facilities in Washington Square was certified by the Department of City Planning. NYU Core is called for in NYU 2031: NYU in NYC, a city-wide strategy for growth set in motion more than three years ago that envisions growth around NYU’s core campus as well as three areas outside Greenwich Village, including Manhattan’s Eastside Health Corridor, in Downtown Brooklyn, and potentially on Governors Island.

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About NYU 2031: NYU in NYC 

NYU 2031: NYU in NYC, is a 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. For more information about NYU 2031 please log onto www.nyu.edu/nyu-in-nyc .   

About New York University
New York University is located in the heart of Greenwich Village. Founded in 1831, it is one of America’s foremost research universities and a member of the selective Association of American Universities.  It is one of the largest private universities, it is a leader in attracting international students and scholars in the U.S, and it sends more students to study abroad than any other U.S. college or university.  Through its 18 schools and colleges, NYU conducts research and provides education in the arts and sciences, law, medicine, business, dentistry, education, nursing, the cinematic and performing arts, music and studio arts, public administration, social work, and continuing and professional studies, among other areas.