"...what if the current incarnation of the plan is upheld and remains largely unchanged? What will Greenwich Village look like in 2031? Will it be congested, overcrowded and largely unlivable, as many naysayers suggest, or will the plan usher in a new chapter of peaceful coexistence between NYU and its Village neighbors?"
Read more of Alan Krawitz article for New York Press at http://nypress.com/imagining-greenwich-village-in-2031/.
The current NYC Government from the Mayor, City Council President, Manhattan Borough President, NYC Planning Commission, NYC Land Use Committee, Greenwich City Council Representative and the NYU Administration cannot be trusted to represent the local community, Greenwich Village and NYC interests in approving the NYU2031 Plan that gives public property to nonsustaining and exploitative private interests by re-zoning the land in question from residential to commercial interests. Please note that is Commercial and not residential or educational purposes.
ReplyDeleteThis plan will reduce much of the current open space by destroying children's playgrounds, public park strips, the treasured Washington Square Village Sasaki Garden, the LaGuardia Corner Garden, Mercer and Bleecker Street Gardens and over a thousand mature trees, bushes and plants for massive skyscrapers in the heart of historic Greenwich Village. The local community, Local NYC Community Board, NYU faculty members against the plan and the Greenwich Village Society for Historical Preservation have protested and campaigned against the NYU2031 Plan for several years asking NYU to expand to NYC neighborhoods where they are wanted and needed with no success.
Please Google my internet handle 'hjsteed' for more information on this matter.
My memories of the Village go back to the mid 1950s when, as an 11-year-old, I made many shopping visits with my mother from our home in New Jersey. My family moved to Manhattan when I was only a year-and-a-half-years-old, so my memories prior to 1948 are quite dim if non-existent. But, during the '50s and '60s when my Aunt Tsune and Sugi Noguchi operated The Seasoned Traveler leather goods store on Bleecker Street, my memories are quite fond and dear. The shop was one of those walk-down, below-grade affairs and the leather goods smelled delicious. Today, when I visit New York City, I see so much that reminds me of the Village of the '50s and '60s. Yes, there have been changes, but much of what I see and remember still exists. Unfortunately, I believe the Village in 2031 with implementation of the NYU expansion plan will be quite different because of the shrinking green space and the addition of more tall buildings. The planned destruction of the WSV Sasaki Garden, which was one of my late uncle Hideo's early innovations will be a major defeat for Village residents. To me this will be a shame and a sacrilege.
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