NYU removed the walls and scaffolding barricading the Stern School of Business last week — over two years after they were constructed following a pro-Palestinian encampment on Gould Plaza, turning the open patio into a site for ID checks and lines.

Black metal doors accompanied by glass security booths now mark the plaza entrance, with security guards checking NYU IDs for admission along the path. Trees and other plants scatter across the space — including a small garden area facing Fourth Street — and skylight windows line the entrance, bringing sunlight into the upstairs hallways of Tisch Hall.

The west side of the plaza is now open and filled with new outdoor chairs and tables. The east side, facing the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, remains under construction and is fenced off with orange traffic cones linked by yellow plastic chains, blocking access to Warren Weaver Hall.

“Now that the scaffolding is finally down, it actually looks like a school again,” Stern junior Jae Huang said. “It feels more open and it’s definitely more welcoming to students.”

In its original plan — which said the project would add seating areas, improve pathways and update lighting — NYU said it aimed for “substantial completion” by spring 2026. The plan was announced in September 2025, in an effort to make Gould Plaza a “more welcoming environment.”

The design allocated money for waterproof seating and paving, a 22,000-square-foot space for trees and ornamental screen, and renovations to install new steel and a sidewalk bridge on West 4th Street. A temporary lane was also built for deliveries and equipment storage.

The plaza was first barricaded after hundreds of students, faculty and community members erected encampments around the area, calling for NYU to divest from companies with ties to Israel and shut down its study-away site in Tel Aviv. The protests lasted 15 hours before NYU deployed police to remove the tents and arrest over 130 protesters.

In September, NYU opened new seating pods on the Kimmel Center for University Life’s Grand Staircase — another area that had been closed due to an uptick in protests following Oct. 7, 2023. Construction at the university’s CAS building and Wagner site also wrapped up that same month.

According to NYU’s new Economic Impact Study, the university invested $2.7 billion in real estate projects over the last five years — with $4.1 billion contributing to the cumulative stateside economic output. The 2025 capital budget allotted $286 million for improvement and construction of academic facilities. The university also separated $82 million for building replacements and $55 million of housing upgrades.

“It feels like since I’ve been at Stern, there’s always been construction going on,” MBA candidate Navaneeth Pandian said. “It’s honestly taken me more time to get used to just walking in normally now, but it’s been great.”

Contact Natalie Deoragh and Justin Yen at [email protected].