The End? Elizabeth Street Garden Hit With Eviction Notice

NEW YORK CITY – Elizabeth Street Garden, a verdant oasis in the middle of Lower Manhattan, received an eviction notice this week.

More than 900,000 letters in support of the garden – from schoolchildren and seniors to Robert De Niro, Patti Smith, and Martin Scorsese – appear to have left Mayor Eric Adams, who visited the garden for the first time in September, unmoved.

That means, barring a miracle – or dramatic mayoral change of heart – Elizabeth Street Garden will be forced to close in the next 14 days.

Others, however, see another miracle emerging, as plans to build 123 units of affordable housing on the site may finally move forward. According to materials provided by NYC Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), 30% of units at the development – known as Haven Green – will be set aside for formerly homeless seniors.

“Far too many people, including older New Yorkers, struggle to find housing and afford rent - that’s why we fought for Haven Green and it’s why we’ll always fight to create affordable housing throughout all five boroughs,” said HPD Communications Director, Ilana Maier, in a statement.

Furthermore, the development will preserve a significant amount of green space, the city contends – green space which will be open “24/7.”

The garden is presently open to the public between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., according to its website.

‘Build, baby, build’

Elizabeth Street Garden is city property, and the move to develop it into affordable housing – with publicly accessible green space – in some ways reflects Adams’ “City of Yes” housing plan, which was approved by the Planning Commission in September.

Adams’ position is that the city must build its way out of a historic housing crisis – “build, baby, build,” he has said – and means that from Nolita to the Bronx and beyond, New Yorkers will likely see a wave of construction if the proposal is approved by the City Council this fall.

Its passage, however, is far from certain.

What About Elizabeth Street?

Joseph Reiver, whose father Allan began tending the Elizabeth Street Garden more than 30 years ago, pointed Patch to a statement that suggests he remains committed to finding the miracle that might save it.

“We continue to work with our legal team to address the eviction,” Reiver wrote. “Stay tuned.”

Elizabeth Street Garden is located on Elizabeth Street between Prince Street and Spring Street in Nolita.