Newest Foothold for NYU Sparks Concern on Social Media

NYU’s purple banner is set to cover much more ground. The university that holds a claim over the East and West Village already has struck a deal to take over more than a million square feet at 770 Broadway, the block-long East Village landmark that once served as Wanamaker’s department store and more recently, as Meta’s New York headquarters.

Reactions to the proposed expansions have been swift and pointed, with many users taking to the platform Nextdoor to voice their concerns.

“No offense, but what does NYU actually give back to the Village, besides higher rents and, sure, an education,” Nextdoor user Tori Alexander wrote. “They’ve already swallowed so much of the neighborhood, and now they’re preparing to occupy the historic Wanamaker building. Do they offer anything to the community that isn’t transactional? Do they pay taxes?”

The building was originally erected in 1907 as part of department store magnate John Wanamaker’s New York complex. The store closed in the mid-20th century, but its name and legacy live on in the Wanamaker Mile, a prestigious indoor mile race for elite middle distance runners in the Millrose Games.

In the 2010s, the building housed Meta’s New York offices, spanning more than 800,000 square feet at its peak. However, amidst the pandemic, Meta’s rendered the space obsolete, with mass downsizings leaving vast portions of the space vacant.

Today, NYU is set to fill the space once again, reigniting a familiar debate over the university’s ever-growing footprint. It is leasing the space from Steve Roth’s Vornado Realty Trust and will share space with Wegman’s supermarket which opened there last year. Under terms of the deal, NYU has an option to buy after 30 years on its 100 year lease, said to be worth $700 million.

Signs recently went up saying it is the future home for science & technology facilities of the university.

The presence of a newest stake has rekindled long-standing resentment among some East Village residents, who see NYU’s expansion as synonymous with the dwindling character of the neighborhood. To many, increased university presence may indicate higher rents as well as a complete aesthetic shift that is out of step with the area’s history.

Additionally, many believe NYU has a disproportionate influence in the neighborhood, citing its tax-exempt status, sizable endowment, and past development decisions as examples. Specifically, one user noted that NYU played a role in demolishing Edgar Allan Poe’s former New York home in an effort to expand its law school.

However, though public perception on Nextdoor is primarily skewed negative, some do support the new building. Supporters counter that NYU’s size brings significant economic benefits to the city.

“NYU’s economic impact report from 2015, indicated that the university spent nearly $393.4 million on goods and services in fiscal year 2013, with a substantial portion going to Manhattan businesses. Additionally, higher education in NYC, including NYU, contributes $35 billion annually and employs 140,000 people,” user Anthony Ptak wrote, citing statistics from the NYCEDC.

The building at 770 Broadway has remained a fixture of NOHO and the East Village for more than a century under various fronts: a department store, a tech giant’s headquarters, and a university building. As NYU continues to move in and occupy more of the village, debates between residents will undoubtedly exist over the area’s state and future.