BOTTOM LINE BATTLES REAL ESTATE OPERATOR By Ryan Nuckel On Oct. 23, a Manhattan civil court judge granted a 30-day reprieve to the Greenwich Village nightclub the Bottom Line, buying the club some time to avoid eviction by its landlord, New York University (NYU). The clubOs lease expired in September, and its legal battle with NYU D to which the club owes $185,000 in back rent D has won it support from local residents and celebrity musicians who once graced its stage. Bruce Springsteen -- who performed at the Bottom Line before hitting the big time D pledged his support and the donation of an unnamed sum if an agreement can be reached. OWhen I think of the most memorable nights in my own career, few match the week of shows we did there in 1975,O said Sprinsteen on www.savethebottomline.com. OAs a musician, as a citizen, and as one who loves New York City, I truly hope that a solution can be found.O Sirius Satellite Radio has pledged to donate the full amount of back rent, and to create a $10,000 scholarship for NYU students Oas a sign of good faith.O The fight over the future of the Bottom Line, however, is only the latest incident in a long history of disputes between NYU and the surrounding neighborhood. Over the last three decades, as NYU has made the transition from a middle-class commuter school to an elite residential Oresearch university,O its expansion has made it one of New York CityOs biggest landowners. Two years ago, NYU caused controversy with its construction of a dormitory on 2nd street and the Bowery, right next door to CBGB, the legendary club that many consider the birthplace of punk rock. The year before, NYU had built a 14th street dormitory on the site of the old Palladium club, once home to artists as diverse as Tito Puente and the Clash. In each case, residents eager to preserve the late-19th century architecture of old Greenwich Village have been set against a large private institution more concerned with its own future than its neighborhoodOs past. NYU has tried to lure student support to the eviction by promising to convert the space into large classrooms. The recent transition of a student performance space on West 4th into a Starbucks, however, doesnOt exactly bode well for the promise being kept. Negotiations between the club and NYU continue, but NYUOs demand that any new lease be accompanied by a nearly 200 percent rent increase indicates that despite the recent reprieve and celebrity support, it is still fighting an uphill battle.