Beloved Elizabeth Street Garden faces eviction as community fights to save green space

The Elizabeth Street Garden in SoHo has been a cherished green space for over 30 years, but the city has issued a 14-day eviction notice to make way for affordable senior housing.

The popular green space adorned with plush greenery and uniquely designed statues has become a place to read a book, catch up with a friend or spend some quality time alone.

Maiden, a musician, and songwriter has written more than five songs there.

"It just such an amazing to come and get inspired and meet other fellow artist and just make a community. You know?" she shared with FOX 5.

It’s surpassed the vision Joseph Reiver’s dad had for the space in 1991, but the operators of the garden now say eviction may be inevitable. 

"You lose something that you never get back. The city will never build anything like this ever again," said Reiver.

The park's supporters have made every effort, including thousands of letters to the Adams administration, to preserve the space.

"It leaves us with 14 days. We are talking with our legal team, and everyone involved figuring out the next steps. And that proposal stills on the mayor’s desk, and he can step out at any time and do the right thing," Reiver explained. 

The city is rolling out a different vision for the space as the new home of the Haven Green Project for more than 120 units of affordable housing for seniors with just under a third of them set-aside for formerly homeless seniors.   

The housing is part of a clearly expressed objective for the city.

"Meet the housing challenge for a vulnerable population, our seniors who are in desperate need of options in the city that is difficult for them to afford or live in," said Ahmed Tigani, the first deputy commissioner at HPD.

Those who oversee the Elizabeth Street garden say they’ve proposed several locations for the city to consider, and the city says they’ve taken them into consideration. Yet the garden's fate won’t change.

"We are in a housing crisis with a vacancy rate of 1.4%. This is not a 'build here and not there.' This is a 'we need to build in every spot' and we would love as many ideas as possible on where else we can build next," Tigani shared.

The next 14 days will be spent by Elizabeth Street Garden operators fighting back as much as they can.