Elizabeth Street Garden faces closure despite community efforts

Organisers of Nolita’s cherished Elizabeth Street Garden are striving to prevent its closure, with eviction imminent. Despite their efforts, the city’s plan to replace the garden with senior housing remains unchanged. Supported by actor Robert De Niro, garden officials urge Mayor Eric Adams to consider two alternative locations for the 123-unit affordable senior housing project.

In a Saturday social media post, garden officials proposed that these sites could offer the required housing without sacrificing the garden. Earlier this month, the garden received an eviction notice after a decade-long dispute with the city, culminating in a judge ruling against it in May during an appeal of its 2021 eviction case.

City Council Member Christopher Marte has collaborated with garden officials to identify alternative sites, including a Department of Environmental Protection water facility lot and a federal parking lot. However, city officials have not been persuaded. Marte highlighted the administration’s recent stance on building on public lots, despite no long-term commitment to these sites.

“It’s not a choice between this site or that site, this borough or that borough — we need more housing everywhere.” – @NYCMayor rep in response to Elizabeth St Garden redevelopment opponents proposing alternate site for housing:https://t.co/k6UZuvI1Kj

— Sally Goldenberg (@SallyGold) October 14, 2024

The current plan involves two private lots, which the city cannot develop on its own. These lots feature existing buildings and offer more housing and retail space than the current proposal. The building owners support the proposal, according to garden executive director Joseph Reiver. Despite ongoing discussions with the Adams administration, the eviction process continues.

Garden advocates wait as the city considers the alternative plan, but a change in Mayor Adams’ stance is necessary. During a recent news conference, Adams emphasised the need to utilise all available properties for affordable housing.

Prominent figures like De Niro, Patti Smith, and Martin Scorsese, along with local schoolchildren and seniors, have rallied in support of the garden. The 33-year-old garden attracts over 200,000 visitors annually and hosts numerous free public programmes, encompassing over 20,000 square feet of valuable green space.

Beautiful poetry shared in the Elizabeth Street Garden yesterday. Almost 700K letters sent to @NYCMayor! The next poetry gathering is on Sunday, September 15th, 4-5pm. The theme is FRAME. More info: https://t.co/vSjsXBg0pv #savetheelizabethstreetgarden #savethetrees pic.twitter.com/JEJdgGSYcj

— Katie Holten | Language of Trees🌳 | Code Red 🇵🇸 (@katieholten) September 2, 2024

Reiver mentioned ongoing discussions with the Adams administration about alternative sites. He criticised the city’s portrayal of senior support for the development and the amount of open space the Haven Green plan would provide. Reiver noted that the Haven Green development’s claim of 16,000 square feet of public space is misleading, as it includes a private courtyard.

The garden plans to explore all legal options if the proposal fails. Marte hopes the city will consider the nearly 1 million petition signatures and thousands of protest letters from locals and schoolchildren. He stressed the cultural significance of the garden to the Little Italy community and the lack of green space in the area. Losing the garden would be a significant loss for the community, he added.