On Oct. 14, 2014, the Appellate Division, First Department, reversed an order in Matter of Glick v. Harvey.1 The order of Justice Donna M. Mills enjoined New York University from beginning any construction in connection with its expansion project that would result in any alienation of three parcels of land found by the court to be public parkland, unless and until the state Legislature authorizes the alienation of any parkland to be impacted by the project. The decision itself provided very little factual information. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal on Oct. 15, 2014, the project involved the construction of about two million square feet of new facilities in Greenwich Village. The plan calls for four high rises on two university-owned blocks.
The plaintiffs—Assembly Member Deborah Glick and more than 20 other individuals and organizations—argued that there were areas on the blocks that were used for recreational purposes. One of the parcels includes LaGuardia Park, which is on LaGuardia Place between Houston Street and Bleecker Street. It has been used as a community garden and small park. The parcels have been mapped as streets since they were acquired by the city, and the city has refused various requests to have the streets de-mapped and re-dedicated as parkland.
