Matthew Broderick - Matthew Broderick Loses Bid To Block New York Building Project

New York City residents including Matthew Broderick have been dealt a blow in their campaign to halt a building project in their neighbourhood after a judge dismissed a request for an injunction to block the scheme.

Broderick, who lives in Manhattan's Greenwich Village with his wife Sarah Jessica Parker and their kids, has backed locals' ongoing efforts to stop the construction of New York University's (Nyu) campus in the area.

According to the New York Post, State Supreme Court Justice Ellen Coin has now thrown out the residents' request for a preliminary injunction to stop the work from going ahead, granting Nyu bosses' motion to dismiss the case.

Coin told the plaintiffs it was too soon for the court to call off the construction plans, writing in her ruling, "Considering that Nyu's construction project is currently in its infancy... this legal controversy has not fully matured."

The group was urged to take the complaint to the state's Division of Housing and Community Renewal.

Playwright Kenneth Lonergan, a Greenwich Village resident and long-time friend of Broderick, insists he is "appalled" by the latest development.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off star Broderick has previously testified against the plans, arguing the expansion will damage and drastically alter the character of the local surroundings.