With New York University (NYU) planning to expand by 6 million square feet by 2031, about 3 to 3.6 million of that space is planned for Greenwich Village. This has led many residents to voice their concerns while opposing new NYU developments. NYU’s plans include a 40-story residential building on Bleecker St. between Mercer St. and LaGuardia place, a building for academic space near faculty housing at Washington Square Village and a new building that will replace the Coles gymnasium on Mercer St. The University, which plans to have more space for 1,000 more students by 2031, recognizes that it cannot restrict its expansion to Washington Square and plans to also develop around Downtown Brooklyn, Governors Island and the NYU Medical Center.