Afternoons strolling through Elizabeth Street Garden were endangered as demolition plans threatened the only beautiful public green space found between Little Italy and SoHo. Its location has a nearly 200-year history as a public recreational space, and the sculpture garden has been one of the city’s best hidden gems ever since it first opened.
According to a collaborative Instagram post with Elizabeth Street Garden and New York Nico from months ago, the city planned to tear down Elizabeth Street Garden to make room for 123 units of senior affordable housing, luxury retail, and office space.
The Elizabeth Street Garden website stated that it had established a legal case with Norman Siegel, the former executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, to stop developers from carrying out their plans. Even celebrities got involved, including natives Robert DeNiro, Martin Scorsese, and Patti Smith, all of whom have written to Mayor Eric Adams urging him to save the space.
“I support increasing the availability of affordable housing (community leaders have identified alternate locations for development), but I’m also passionate about preserving the character of our neighborhoods,” De Niro wrote, according to The New York Times.
Elizabeth Street Garden shared more details online about the city’s proposal following a demolition, fighting for their chance to remain as a beloved community green space. “The City does not need to pit affordable housing and public green space against one another. We can achieve both!” writes its website. Instead of destroying the garden space for affordable housing, Community Board 2 has suggested alternative sites that offer 10x more affordable Senior units.
The NYC Housing Preservation & Development comes at the issue from a different point of view and revealed that the land was city-owned from the beginning, and the proposed alternatives that were suggested were reviewed, but not adequate. The organization also noted that it plans to preserve the Elizabeth Street Garden when rebuilding.
“The new development will include over 14,000 square feet of open space, nearly matching the size of the Elizabeth Street Garden, and it will be accessible nearly 24/7 to ALL New Yorkers,” a statement read. “Through community visioning events, we are inviting everyone in the neighborhood to share their input on how this space will be shaped.”
As of October 2nd, 2024, the Elizabeth Street Garden received its eviction notice.
“While we have been expecting the notice to be served, we are very disappointed that @nycmayor and Deputy Mayor @mtorresspringer have refused to hold off on the eviction despite ongoing negotiations and thousands of letters from the public demanding they save the garden,” the garden detailed on Instagram in a lengthy post.
It concluded, “Now that the eviction has been served, we have 14 days. We continue to work with our legal team to address the eviction.” Mayor Eric Adams recently answered everyone’s questions regarding the fate of the garden in a recent news conference, confirming that affordable housing will be replacing Elizabeth Street Garden.
“We need to wrap our heads around 1.4 percent vacancy rate,” he said. “Our seniors, when I do my senior town halls at the senior adult centers, I hear over and over their fear of not being able to afford to live in the city. We have to house New Yorkers. And the garden is a beautiful place, but there’s a greater beauty to be able to house New Yorkers.”
Adams also confirmed that the senior affordable housing will have a garden space.
“I understand the compassion that’s attached to the garden. But what’s attached to me the most is getting New Yorkers housed,” he finished with.
However, as of Wednesday, October 16th an appeals court judge has paused the eviction plans, delaying the demolition until Oct. 30th. Confirmation from Elizabeth Street Garden themselves shared that “there is still hope” to save the garden.