Superblock decision registers; Dorm funds could be blocked

By Albert Amateau

The State Historic Preservation Office has declared that New York University’s Washington Square Village superblock is eligible for the Federal and State Registers of Historic Places.

The two superblocks, between W. Third and West Houston Sts. and LaGuardia Place and Mercer St., are where N.Y.U. will soon be seeking city approval of its plan to add 2.4 million square feet of development during the next 20 years.

But Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, said this week that the state preservation office decision could put a crimp in N.Y.U.’s financing for the project.

N.Y.U. intends to seek New York State Dormitory Authority funds to help defray the cost of student housing development on the south superblock. However, Berman pointed out this week that state and federal funds cannot be used for demolition or construction on properties eligible for the historic register unless the state preservation office approves the project.

“SHiPO generally seeks to preserve historic and architecturally significant features of eligible properties and encourages applicants to seek alternatives,” Berman said. “That’s just one more reason, an economic reason, for N.Y.U. to look for other locations, like the Financial District, for its future development,” Berman said.

On the south superblock, the I.M. Pei-designed Silver Towers with its 30-foot-tall “Sylvette” sculpture designed by Picasso were designated a New York City landmark two years ago. N.Y.U. last year decided to scrap its plans for a 40-story tower on the landmarked portion of the block after Pei’s firm opposed the tower.

The university, however, received Landmarks Preservation Commission approval this year for landscape changes to the designated portion of the southern superblock. The university’s proposed new buildings for the south superblock are not in the landmarked area, but they must still undergo review and receive approval from the City Planning Commission and the City Council.