Long Island University’s Brooklyn campus will get a 34-story rental

Yet another New York City-based university is expanding and Brooklyn is set to receive a 34-story because of it. Developer RXR Realty will replace Long Island University’s athletic fields near 161 Ashland Place with a 34-story building that will include space for the university on the lower floors, and apartments above, Newsday first reported.

Newsday’s reporting from last week suggests that the project will comprise of three separate buildings; one for the university, one for the residential development, and one new parking garage. However, the head of RXR Realty, Seth Pinsky spoke with the Brooklyn Paper this week and explained the university will take up space in a podium at the base of the building, and the residential tower will rise above that.

The residential portion of this project will have 476 apartments, of which 140 will be affordable units, the developer hopes. Amenities announced for this building so far include a yoga studio, a fitness center, and a kids playroom.

RXR paid LIU $76 million for the development rights, of which the university has chosen to spend $35 million on the new building, which will include new athletic fields, and the rest of the funds will go toward scholarships and the school’s existing facilities.

Newsday reported that the developer filed plans with the city’s Department of Building shortly after the New Year, so work on the project should be getting underway soon.

Across the city, schools like Columbia University, New York University, and Pace University are just some of the educational institutions in the midst of major expansion projects. For LIU, this will be their biggest expansion project since the university was founded in 1926.

• On top of the class: LIU, developers strike deal to erect hybrid school-residential building on campus [BP]
• LIU, RXR Realty have deal to build on Brooklyn campus [Newsday]