NEW YORK: A beloved public garden in lower Manhattan may soon become a casualty of New York’s push to develop more housing despite opposition led by celebrities such as Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese.

Elizabeth Street Garden, built by an antiques gallery owner on land leased from the city in 1991, is an urban oasis in the densely crowded Little Italy neighborhood, the backdrop for “Mean Streets,” Scorsese’s classic New York movie starring De Niro.

In 2013, the city proposed a 123-unit affordable housing project for seniors on the one-acre plot. Opponents have proposed alternative sites nearby that could create 700 units, but housing officials remain unconvinced. Legal options are running out to stop the garden’s eviction after the lease expires on Sept 10.

Adams has made building more housing a priority for his administration. In August, he ordered agencies to review all city-owned property for potential development, part of a goal he set in 2022 to build 500,000 new homes by 2032. Since 2016, the city has required 20-30pc of new housing developments to be affordable, meaning residents earning an average of 40-80pc of the area median income can buy the units.

Thousands of people, including Scorsese, De Niro and another downtown luminary, poet and musician Patti Smith, have written letters asking Mayor Eric Adams to preserve the garden.

“I support increasing the availability of affordable housing,” wrote De Niro, “but I’m also passionate about preserving the character of our neighborhoods.”

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2024