By Nicole Breskin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
GREENWICH VILLAGE — New York University’s plans to build an elementary school as a peace offering to locals grumbling about its proposed neighborhood expansion plan might backfire.
That's because NYU is considering housing the 600 student, K-5 school in one of two skyscrapers residents are up in arms about.
One possible location would be in the proposed "zipper building" at the corner of Houston and Mercer streets that would be built over a dog run. The second would be in a building that would displace a statue of Fiorello LaGuardia along LaGuardia Place.
Alicia Hurley, NYU's vice president for government affairs and community engagement told DNAinfo late last week that plans are in the early stages and added that the university will work with its neighbors.
"We are thinking about the future in a strategic way," Hurley said. "We want to work with the community to find what locations are best to fill our need.
But community activists are not happy. They say NYU's developments will overrun public spaces.
"Bringing a school to the area is a great idea," said Terri Cude, of the SuperBlocks Coalition, a neighborhood group. “However, you can’t trade open space for school. You lose one children’s space for another, and you need both.”
Larry Goldberg, president of Friends of LaGuardia Place, said the community has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to build and maintain the area, and plans are in the works to add a $300,000 children’s garden to the spot.
“NYU doesn’t have the right to develop there,” said Goldberg. “Their plans aren’t real, they’re just lines on paper.”
The land in question is currently owned by the Department of Transportation. NYU's Hurley said the university has not begun negotiations to acquire it, and added that any community space affected by development would be relocated in full.
Borough President Scott Stringer, who leads the Task Force on NYU Development, said he was "pleased that NYU has committed to working with the local community to discuss the exact location of the school.
"However, a school doesn't give green light to a [tower]."
