Beloved Elizabeth Street Garden given eviction notice after long battle
LITTLE ITALY, Manhattan (WABC) -- A beloved community garden in New York's Little Italy was given an eviction notice.
The battle to save the garden has been ongoing for months.
Now the city is planning for the space to be an affordable housing complex.
Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan is the Elizabeth Street Garden, where a New Yorker might seek refuge from the chaos, but now chaos has found the garden.
"It represents this kind of unique character we celebrate in New York City, and you see that diminishing all across neighborhoods," said Elizabeth Street Garde Executive Director Joseph Reiver.
Joseph Reiver has been fighting the inevitable, to keep the city's hands off his father's sculptures and the community garden itself.
On Wednesday, the eviction notice arrived, despite what volunteers say was a vigilant effort to find the city alternatives.
"It's a slap in the face to the thousands of people who've sent letters saying you don't have to destroy Elizabeth Street Garden to get affordable housing," Reiver said.
For years now, the garden has been entangled in the city's plans to build much-needed affordable housing for seniors.
First Deputy Commissioner HPD Ahmed Tigani said the city doesn't have the privilege to pick and choose which lots to build on with the current housing crisis.
"It's about building on all our sites - but that doesn't mean we can't deliver for the community and give them green space which we're doing here - we're giving them 14,000 square feet because it's the right thing to do," Tigani said.
"We all want housing for seniors and that's really important - but there's plenty of other buildings sitting vacant where that can go. There's only so many green spaces," resident Meghan Laflam said.
Reiver says he's consulting with his legal team about how he and thousands of others can continue fighting this eviction.
They will continue to fight until the day bulldozers are brought in to demolish what many consider sacred grounds.
"The mayor can still step in. This proposal is still being talked about. Still being discussed. I don't know how much he's going to consider it at this point. I hope he does - I hope they realize," Reiver said.
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