Elizabeth Street Garden in Little Italy gets another chance with a new calling

LITTLE ITALY, Manhattan (PIX11) – Elizabeth Street Garden advocates have postponed a planned eviction by the city.

Advocates say an appeals court temporarily stayed the eviction until Oct. 30.

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The proponents had appealed an earlier order to return the property to the city. The garden was due to close on Thursday but will now be allowed to remain open until the appeal process is over.

The organizers of the Elizabeth Street Garden have been waging a battle against the city for twelve years. Authorities are working to convert the site into an affordable housing complex for seniors.

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“I understand the compassion that comes with the garden. But what matters most to me is housing New Yorkers,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said during a press conference Tuesday.

“We are not surprised or deterred – we are working to immediately resolve this last-minute attempt to prevent the city from building the affordable housing and public green space this neighborhood deserves,” a City Hall spokesperson told PIX11 News.

The garden has recently received support from notable names such as Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese and Patti Smith. The celebrities, among many others, wrote to Mayor Eric Adams asking him to keep the garden open.

Despite the petitions, the city is continuing its housing project. The developers have promised that even after the complex is built, a green space will be opened to the public.

Dominique Jack is a Brooklyn-based digital content producer with more than five years of news reporting experience. She joined PIX11 in 2024. You can find more of her work here.

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