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Elizabeth Street Garden

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Coordinates: 40°43′19.9″N 73°59′40.7″W / 40.722194°N 73.994639°W / 40.722194; -73.994639
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Elizabeth Street Garden
Front entrance of garden
Map
LocationElizabeth Street, between Prince & Spring Streets, New York City
Coordinates40°43′19.9″N 73°59′40.7″W / 40.722194°N 73.994639°W / 40.722194; -73.994639
Established1991
Websitewww.elizabethstreetgarden.com

The Elizabeth Street Garden is a one-acre (0.40 ha) community sculpture garden in the Nolita neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, located on Elizabeth Street between Prince and Spring Streets. The garden is owned by the city government and managed by the eponymous Elizabeth Street Garden (ESG), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and open to the public for general use and community events.

Allan Reiver, who operated the neighboring Elizabeth Street Gallery, began developing the site as a garden in 1991. The New York City Housing Authority took over the land in 2012 with plans to erect a residential building there. After a lengthy dispute over the garden, in 2024, the New York Court of Appeals ruled to allow the development.

Description

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The Elizabeth Street Garden occupies a 1-acre (0.40 ha) L-shaped space on Elizabeth Street in the Nolita neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City,[1] between Prince and Spring Streets.[2] The garden is open to the public and operated by neighborhood volunteers year-round, with free public events throughout the year.[3][4]

The garden includes various sculptures, many of which are taken from the collection of Allan Reiver, who operated the neighboring Elizabeth Street Gallery.[1][5] A gravel path winds through the garden. Adjacent to the path is a balustrade salvaged from Lynnewood Hall, a mansion in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania.[1] There are wrought-iron chairs and tables, birdbaths, and a set of columns.[5] The space also has over 1,200 plants,[3] in addition to a copper gazebo designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.[1][6]

Early history

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The site was previously occupied by P.S. 106, later renamed P.S. 21; the public school was designed by master school architect C.B.J. Snyder with twelve classrooms and outdoor space.[7] The school was completed in 1904, and it expanded in 1927, filling a 3-acre (1.2 ha) site known as Lot 41.[1] The building was demolished in the 1970s.[8][5] In 1981, the Little Italy Restoration Apartments were built on Spring Street, including much of the former school site, with the remaining space maintained as a recreational area.[5][1] Plans to build a new school never materialized due to community opposition, and the P.S. 21 playground site remained vacant.[9]

In 1990, the Manhattan Community Board 2 Parks Committee passed a resolution in favor of leasing it to Allan Reiver, the owner of the Elizabeth Street Gallery.[5][10] At the time, the gallery was located in a renovated 19th-century firehouse adjacent to the garden property on Elizabeth Street.[10][11] He leased it on a month-to-month basis and began developing the garden in 1991.[4] The initial garden included perennials, native plants, and trees and adding architectural elements like gates, fencing, statuary, tables, and seating from Reiver's gallery collection.[12][9] The gazebo and columns were among the first things that Reiver had acquired for the garden. Reiver, who did not have landscape design experience, said: "When I got things, I would just pick a spot and put it there."[13] In 2005, Reiver installed a sign saying it was open to the public with entry through his gallery next door.[10][11]

Proposal to replace the garden

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Initial proposal

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In 2012, ownership of the land was transferred, without public review, from the Board of Education to the New York City Housing Authority.[14] The garden could be accessed only through Reiver's gallery until 2013, when Reiver agreed to add an entrance from Elizabeth Street.[5][8] In 2013, community members learned that the city was planning to replace the garden with a residential building for low-income senior citizens, and organized talks and protests to save the garden. The community worked with Reiver to revitalize the space and leave the main gates permanently open to the public. They introduced a calendar of public programming and developed a base of support for retaining the green space for community use.[15] This group formed the Friends of Elizabeth Street Garden, Inc., in 2014.[16]

In 2015, the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) applied for a $6 million grant from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, to start building a housing unit on the land.[17] Although the HPD's request was denied in March 2016,[18] the HPD put out a request for proposals to develop the garden that year.[8][19][20] The next year, the city selected a proposal named Haven Green, which was to contain 121 apartments for senior citizens[21][22] and be seven stories high.[4] There would also be programs for its residents, luxury ground-floor retail, 11,200 square feet of office space for co-developer Habitat NYC, and approximately 6,600 square feet of privately-owned open space.[23] Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Councilmember Margaret Chin both supported the redevelopment, even as it was opposed by community members, the local community board, and state Senators and Assembly members.[23] Chin disputed the garden's use as a longstanding public space, saying "It was never open to the public until they heard that the site was going to be designated for affordable housing."[24]

In April 2017, members of FESG and the original community group branched off to form Elizabeth Street Garden (ESG), a community-run nonprofit.[12] The space remained open to the public seven days a week, with free public and educational programming and music and art performances.[4][12] In 2018, The Cultural Landscape Foundation registered the garden as a Landslide site to help protect it from destruction.[25]

Lawsuit and aftermath

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Manhattan Community Board 2 voted in January 2019 to recommend that Haven Green not be built on the Elizabeth Street Garden site,[26] but Brewer approved the development the next month.[27][28] In March 2019, ESG filed a lawsuit to stop the proposed development, represented by Norman Siegel. The plaintiffs argued, among other things, that the city had to carry out an environmental impact statement addressing the impact to the neighborhood of losing this green space.[29][30] Even so, the New York City Planning Commission voted the next month to approve Haven Green.[31][32] In response, ESG's director Joseph Reiver (who was also Allan Reiver's son) requested that the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board and the Attorney General of New York investigate Haven Green's developers.[33][34] In June 2019, the City Council voted unanimously to proceed with the Haven Green development.[23][35]

During the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, Joseph Reiver invited local schools to host classes at the Elizabeth Street Garden.[36] A final decision on the site was also delayed due to the pandemic.[5] In November 2022, the New York Supreme Court ruled that the city had to conduct an environmental impact statement before proceeding with construction.[37][38] In June 2023, the Appellate Division, First Department, unanimously reversed and found that the city government's environmental assessment was satisfactory.[39][40] The Appellate Division also allowed the ESG to appeal to the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court.[40] The Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the city government in June 2024.[41][42] In response, students from the nearby PS 130 wrote letters to Mayor Eric Adams, asking that the garden be preserved.[43] Celebrities such as Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, and Patti Smith also participated in efforts to preserve the garden.[44][45]

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Elizabeth Street Garden". TCLF. July 2, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  2. ^ "Best Spots to Enjoy Nature in NYC: Carl Schurz Park". amNewYork. May 29, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Elizabeth St. garden is a rare slice of green paradise in the city". amNewYork. August 7, 2014. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Smithson, Aaron (July 13, 2021). "New York's proposed replacement of Elizabeth Street Garden with affordable housing sparks a difficult debate". The Architect's Newspaper. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Dumais, Eliza (May 20, 2020). "Peek Inside This Magical Sculpture Garden, One of NYC's True Hidden Gems". Thrillist. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  6. ^ Gannon, Devin (June 26, 2019). "Behind the scenes at Little Italy's Elizabeth Street Garden and Gallery". 6sqft. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  7. ^ "New School Planned for Mott Street; To Be Modern in Every Respect and Contain Every Convenience". The New York Times. December 14, 1902. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Colon, Dave (January 23, 2019). "Inside the fight over the Elizabeth Street Garden". Curbed NY. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Elizabeth Street Garden.com".
  10. ^ a b c Vadukul, Alex (July 13, 2021). "Allan Reiver, Who Built a Little Urban Oasis in New York, Dies at 78". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Gannon, Devin (June 26, 2019). "Behind the scenes at Little Italy's Elizabeth Street Garden and Gallery". 6sqft. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c Reiver, Allan (April 27, 2017). "Seeds of discord? Garden sprouts a sue-ready group". The Villager. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  13. ^ Gannon, Devin (June 26, 2019). "Behind the scenes at Little Italy's Elizabeth Street Garden and Gallery". 6sqft. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  14. ^ "Judicial Ruling Supports Elizabeth Street Garden | TCLF". www.tclf.org. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  15. ^ Edelman, Susan (November 3, 2013). "Little Italy fights to save Elizabeth St. Garden from affordable housing". NY Post. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  16. ^ "Official Website". Elizabeth Street Garden - Official Website. March 3, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  17. ^ Plitt, Amy (August 25, 2015). "Elizabeth Street Garden May Soon Become Affordable Housing". Curbed NY. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  18. ^ Rosenberg, Zoe (March 18, 2016). "Elizabeth Street Garden Safe For Now As City's Request For Funds Is Denied". Curbed NY. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  19. ^ "Elizabeth Street Garden is saved, for now". The Real Deal. March 19, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  20. ^ Tcholakian, Danielle (September 15, 2016). "Elizabeth Street Garden Supporters Lash Out at City Request to Develop It". DNAinfo New York. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  21. ^ "City advances plans to locate affordable housing in community garden". Spectrum News NY1. December 8, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  22. ^ "City advances plans to locate affordable housing in community garden". Spectrum News NY1. December 8, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  23. ^ a b c Plitt, Amy (June 26, 2019). "Elizabeth Street Garden redevelopment gets green light from City Council". Curbed NY. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  24. ^ Colon, David (January 23, 2019). "Inside the fight over the Elizabeth Street Garden". Curbed NY. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  25. ^ "Lower Manhattan's Elizabeth Street Garden Faces Erasure | TCLF". www.tclf.org. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  26. ^ Spivack, Caroline (January 28, 2019). "Elizabeth Street Garden redevelopment shot down by community board". Curbed NY. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  27. ^ "B.P. Brewer approves housing on Eliz. St. Garden". amNewYork. February 27, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  28. ^ Gannon, Devin (February 27, 2019). "Senior housing complex at Elizabeth Street Garden site gets borough president approval". 6sqft. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  29. ^ Ferré-Sadurní, Luis (March 7, 2019). "A Lush Urban Garden or Senior Citizen Housing: Which Would You Choose?". The New York Times. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  30. ^ "Eliz. Garden groups sue to stop housing project". amNewYork. March 6, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  31. ^ Cascone, Sarah (April 11, 2019). "New York City Officials Have Voted to Demolish the Art-Filled Elizabeth Street Garden". Artnet News. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  32. ^ Spivack, Caroline (April 11, 2019). "Elizabeth Street Garden redevelopment one step closer to city approval". Curbed NY. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  33. ^ Gartland, Michael (May 26, 2019). "Community garden head wants probe of de Blasio, non-profit and Brooklyn Dem big". New York Daily News. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  34. ^ Spivack, Caroline (May 28, 2019). "Elizabeth Street Garden wants state probe into redevelopment plans". Curbed NY. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  35. ^ Gannon, Devin (June 27, 2019). "Plan approved to replace Elizabeth Street Garden with affordable senior housing development". 6sqft. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  36. ^ "Taking page from history, Elizabeth St. Garden invites outdoor school classes". The Village Sun. August 1, 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  37. ^ Velsey, Kim (November 7, 2022). "The Elizabeth Street Garden Fight Is Not Over After All". Curbed. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  38. ^ Elassar, Alaa (November 7, 2022). "A New York City neighborhood has scored a legal victory in its fight to protect a community garden". CNN. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  39. ^ Zaveri, Mihir (June 27, 2023). "Public Garden vs. Affordable Housing: A Court Rules for Housing". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  40. ^ a b Jones, Orion (June 27, 2023). "City wins long legal fight over Elizabeth Street Garden development". The Real Deal. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  41. ^ Lovinger, Joe (January 19, 2022). "After 10-year saga, judge's delay keeps senior housing unbuilt". The Real Deal. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  42. ^ Garber, Nick (June 18, 2024). "Elizabeth Street Garden housing project can proceed, court rules". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  43. ^ Kodé, Anna; Khanna, Yuvraj (August 9, 2024). "'The Garden Adds Color and Brightness to the City': Letters From P.S. 130 Students". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  44. ^ Richardson, Kemberly (August 22, 2024). "Little Italy Garden: Community and celebs voice opposition of land being replaced by affordable housing". ABC7 New York. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  45. ^ Richardson, Kemberly (August 22, 2024). "Little Italy Garden: Community and celebs voice opposition of land being replaced by affordable housing". ABC7 New York. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
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