A Manhattan judge all but halted New York University’s controversial expansion plan Tuesday, ruling that the city broke the law by giving away public parkland without state approval.
The case, brought by Greenwich Village activists in 2012 drew support from local celebrities including Matthew Broderick, Susan Sarandon and Padma Lakshmi.
“NYU’s massive expansion project now cannot go forward, absent State Legislative approval, and that is never going to happen. End of story,” crowed the neighborhood advocates’ attorney, Randy Mastro.
“This is a huge victory for the Greenwich Village community, preserving this historic neighborhood and protecting its cherished, precious parkland.”
Manhattan Supreme Justice Donna Mills said construction on the $6 billion, 20-year plan that alters the green space cannot begin until Albany lawmakers OK the removal of the park space.
About 20 Greenwich Village residents including NYU faculty sued the city and the university in September 2012 to stop the plan, claiming that the university did not obtain required approvals for the construction on two “superblocks” between W. 3rd, Houston and Mercer streets and LaGuardia Place.
Residents like Matthew Broderick, who lives on Charles Street with his “Sex & the City” actress wife Sarah Jessica Parker and their kids said the plan will change the character of the Village.
“I’m very interested in this whole change that’s potentially going to happen to the Village,” Broderick told The Post outside court last February.
“I grew up on Washington Square. NYU has just taken more and more of what I think of as a unique and important part of the Village where a huge amount of creativity has come from,” Broderick said.
Sarandon donated two hours of free ping pong at her club SPiN to raise legal funds for the case.
The City Council greenlighted the project in the summer of 2012.
But Justice Mills ruled in a 78-page decision that the city “alienated public parkland without approval by the New York State legislature in violation of the Public Trust Doctrine.”
City lawyer Chris Reo said, “We just received and are reviewing the decision.”
A spokesman for NYU downplayed the loss, saying that the ruling still allows the university to move forward on an initial project — building a new academic space on a site that currently houses athletic facilities.
“Once we have a chance to thoroughly review the decision with our planning team and determine the precise impact of the ruling on our ability to implement other elements of the plan, we will work with the City, as lead respondent, to determine our next legal steps,” said spokesman John Beckman.