The Russian & Slavic Studies Department has voted to express our concerns
regarding the NYU 2031 plan for expansion on the superblocks and Houston
Streets for the following reasons:
-
There has not been adequate or genuine consultation with the faculty
regarding the rationale for the plan, the logic of expansion, its location
and design, and the health and environmental consequences of an
anticipated twenty years of construction.
-
There has been no transparency regarding the budgeting for an extremely
costly building campaign in a time of longstanding fiscal uncertainty.
-
The disruption caused by construction in Washington Square Village or
Silver Towers will have serious adverse effects on the retention and
recruitment of high quality faculty, which is at the heart of our academic
mission.
-
The execution of the 2031 plan may result in an irreparable rift with our
community neighbors given the plan's anticipated rezoning for commercial
development and the reduction of public greenspace in this high-density
residential area.