NYC To Move Ahead With Eviction Of Elizabeth Street Garden, Mayor Says

NEW YORK CITY — The eviction of the Elizabeth Street Garden in Nolita will proceed as planned, Mayor Eric Adams disclosed at a Tuesday press conference.

The fate of the garden has been the subject of legal battles as the city plans to turn the plot of land into an affordable senior housing complex.

The garden can be evicted from its space as soon as Thursday, according to a court order.

Adams acknowledged the importance of the garden but argued the city’s housing shortage is a more pressing issue.

"We need to wrap our heads around the 1.4 percent vacancy rate,” Adams said. “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.”

The city has owned the garden's lot but allowed it to be leased for the first time in 1990. The garden’s operators have paid the city $4,000 per month in rent for decades, according to multiple media reports.

The garden was first opened to the public in a limited capacity back in 2013.

"We have to house New Yorkers,” he said. “The garden is a beautiful place, but there's a great beauty to be able to house New Yorkers.”