Supporters call on Mayor Adams to save Elizabeth Street Garden from being paved over for housing
A garden in the Northern Little Italy section of Lower Manhattan has been beloved for nearly 35 years.
But now, the legal battle over the Elizabeth Street Garden could be coming to an end.
City leaders seem to want to pave paradise and put up affordable housing.
The latest attempt to save the land from development through a preliminary injunction was denied by a judge last week.
Now, the garden’s days appear to be numbered.
People gathered at the garden to show the city how much the space means to them.
The city says the housing completes for seniors will have a garden space that is accessible to the public.
But people who want to save the garden say Little Italy has one of the lowest ratios of public open space in the city.
Supporters have filed a federal lawsuit to keep the garden open.
The garden that has been around for decades has had volunteers who take it upon themselves to take care of it.
Celebrities like Martin Scorsese, Patti Smith and Robert De Niro have backed the fight to keep the garden.
The executive director of the garden says it isn’t about blocking affordable housing.
“This is a community garden with thousands of people, accessible events, it’s the heart of this community and doesn’t carry the same weight as an empty lot that’s sitting empty for years. We’re saying build at these sights first,” Joseph Reiver, Elizabeth Street Garden executive director said.
Supporters are calling on Mayor Adams to step in to stop this altogether or at least put a pause on it.
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