Opponents of New York University’s controversial $6 billion expansion — including celebrities Mark Ruffalo and Matthew Broderick — are taking their fight to the state’s highest court.
The Greenwich Village activists, including university professors and other residents, won permission to argue their 2012 case before the Court of Appeals on Tuesday.
A mid-level court previously shot down the opponents’ claim in October that only the state Legislature, not the city, had the right to give away parcels of public parkland to the university.
In 2013, a lower court judge ruled that the city’s move broke the law.
“These public parks have been a vital part of the Village for decades,” said Ruffalo.
“Without the Court of Appeals’ intervention, not only will they be given to a private corporation for its own financial gain, but such a thing could become a common and unremarkable occurrence throughout New York,” the ”Avengers” star added.
Reps for NYU did not immediately comment.
