City Planning Commission Approves Lincoln Center Expansion Plan

The University scored another victory for its Lincoln Center Expansion Plan on April 22 when the City Planning Commission voted by a 12-0 count to approve a slightly modified version of the plan.

There was significant opposition in the Lincoln Center community to the expansion, but after minor concessions supported by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, the proposal was sent to the City Council for final approval, which must be voted on within 60 days.

“Our higher education institutions are critical to the city’s economic well being and global competitiveness,” Commission Chair Amanda Burden said. “With the modifications, I vote yes.”

“I would salute the officials from Fordham University for being responsive to the concerns of the community,” Vice Chair Kenneth Knuckles added.

Several student leaders were in attendance at the meeting, including Rose Hill United Student Government Executive President John Tully Gordon, FCRH ’10, his counterpart from Lincoln Center Ryan Murphy, FCLC ’10, and Rose Hill Residence Halls Association President Mike Trerotola, CBA ’10. Gordon and Murphy later urged students in an e-mail to contact Councilwoman Gale Brewer in support of the proposal, as she will be influential in the City Council vote.

“Now it is vital that we tell Councilwoman Gale Brewer that Fordham must grow at Lincoln Center in order to provide our West Side community with the new jobs and businesses they need, our professors with the expanded space they require and our students with the modern facilities they deserve,” the e-mail said.

Vice President of Lincoln Center Brian Byrne noted that student action had already helped the plan’s approval.

“I think students played an important part in the public phase of this which gave us time to sit down and talk quietly behind the scenes on the core details that are important to the city planners,” Byrne said. “Most recently we were meeting two to three times a week with the planning staff to put the final details in place to satisfy every member of the commission. It was very much a team effort.”

Byrne said there will be at least one public hearing before the City Council prior to the vote, after which the proposal will go to Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s desk.

“We’re confident in the mayoral support on this,” he said. “We’ll have to see what will happen in the council.”

The expansion plan calls for a new law school building, a new student center, more dormitory space, new buildings for the graduate schools of education, business and social services and increased library and performance space. Fordham’s biggest concession under the Stringer compromise was the elimination of a parking garage that will mean 56 percent less parking than originally planned.