Manhattan’s Iconic Sculpture Garden Threatened with Eviction
# The Struggle Over Elizabeth Street Garden: A Tale of Green Space, Art, and Affordable Housing
A new proposal may offer fresh optimism for advocates of the Elizabeth Street Garden, a historic sculpture park nestled in the heart of Manhattan’s Little Italy. The garden, facing imminent eviction by city authorities, has been ordered to vacate its property by **October 17** to make way for the construction of the **Haven Green** affordable senior living facility, specifically aimed at LGBTQ+ seniors. However, the story is complicated, with long-running tensions between green space preservationists and city developers regarding the use of this plot.
## The Garden’s Battle Against Development
At the heart of this dispute is a one-acre garden currently managed by a nonprofit called the **Elizabeth Street Garden**. The battle for this cherished green space is not recent—it began nearly 14 years ago. Back in 2012, the **New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)** took ownership of the land where the garden stands, with the intention to ultimately use the site for affordable housing development.
For years, advocates of the garden have sought to thwart the development by organizing rallies and filing lawsuits. Their core argument is straightforward: the Elizabeth Street Garden is one of the few public green spaces in the densely packed neighborhoods of **Little Italy** and **SoHo**.
In 2019, this struggle intensified when the garden’s legal team filed a lawsuit against **New York City’s Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)** to stop the impending eviction. They briefly succeeded, but legal victories proved temporary. In **July 2023**, the HPD overruled the previous legal block, paving the way for eviction by citing that “the project would not have a significant adverse impact on the environment.”
But defenders of the garden remain adamant. They argue that the Elizabeth Street Garden isn’t just any vacant lot to be transformed, but a vital, community-nurturing green space, adorned with artwork and historical sculptures, making it a unique urban treasure.
## A “Triple Win Solution” on the Table?
This intense conflict might see what has been termed a **”Triple Win Solution”** emerge. According to **City Council Member Christopher Marte**, the proposal—which has reportedly been discussed with the city’s mayoral administration—would transfer the affordable housing development funds intended for the Elizabeth Street site to other locations, where currently slated luxury apartments could be rethought as mixed or affordable housing.
In an email newsletter to local constituents on **October 4**, Marte wrote,
> “What’s become clear when we organize to defend Elizabeth Street Garden is that the City isn’t actually interested in building affordable housing. It’s letting some long-standing political grudge get in the way of protecting one of the area’s few green spaces.”
Elizabeth Street Garden’s **Executive Director Joseph Reiver** is working closely with Marte, hoping that a favorable resolution can be found. According to Reiver, a key element of the solution is an end to what he describes as the **”false choice”** between housing and green space. He underscores that activists do support affordable housing in the area—but argue that it should not come at the expense of neighborhood green space, especially one that plays such a unique role in fostering local community.
## The Garden as a Living Artistic Work
Joseph Reiver’s father, **Allan Reiver**, initially curated the artistic and horticultural installations that populate the Elizabeth Street Garden’s grounds. The site, featuring a mix of **Neoclassical sculptures**, a **gazebo designed by the Olmsted Brothers**, and pieces salvaged from historic estates, has long served as a tranquil meeting place for community members. For many, it is not simply an oasis of nature, but a reminder of the neighborhood’s history and artistic heritage.
As Reiver eloquently puts it,
> “The garden itself is a work of art. A lot of the plantings and nature have been planted specifically to complement the sculptures and work with them in unison.”
For supporters of the Elizabeth Street Garden, to lose the park means more than losing an open urban space; it would be the destruction of something irreplaceable—art that grows and evolves alongside the community.
Reiver also notes a sentiment that many share:
> “We’re trying to protect something that would never, ever be built again in the city of New York.”
## The City’s Senior Housing Crisis
While the fight to save the park continues, New York City’s affordable senior housing crisis also looms large. According to a **July 2023 report by the nonprofit LiveOnNY**, the number of seniors on the waiting list for affordable housing in the city has ballooned to over **300,000 people**, representing a **50% increase** since 2016. As such, many political leaders see projects like Haven Green as non-negotiable necessities.
The **Haven Green development** plans to break ground as early as **