NYC Legislators Designate Elizabeth Street Garden As A City Parkland In Attempts To Preserve The Nolita Green Space

The **Elizabeth Street Garden** saga continues. After the Nolita green space was saved from demolition this summer — a highly debatable subject that drew attention from NYC natives like Robert De Niro and Patti Smith — Mayor Eric Adams ‘ administration designated the space as a city parkland in mid-November, according to **Gothamist**. The Department of Citywide Administrative Services Commissioner Louis Molina said in a letter, “By this notice, the City unequivocally and permanently dedicates this property to public use as parkland.” Going forward, the state will need to intervene on matters pertaining to the garden, likely complicating future plans. Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani previously vowed to turn the area into an affordable housing unit for seniors upon his first year in office — something Mayor Adams originally pushed for himself. A brief Elizabeth Street Garden recap ------------------------------------- For decades, the fate of the outdoor haven has been highly contentious. Initially, it was going to be transformed into affordable housing and luxury retail. That came to a halt in June 2025 when garden advocates learned that the Councilmember Christopher Marte and First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro reached common ground. The space was to be saved and housing would be relocated. A note from the garden, which was posted on Instagram this June, read, “Through zoning actions at a privately owned site just two blocks away on the Bowery, a vacant city-owned property on Suffolk Street, and more affordable hosing at 100 Gold Street, at least 623 new affordable units will be created in our district in addition to hundreds of more homes.” The community hub continued to operate as normal, providing a brief respite from city life and offering fun programs like **outdoor movies**. Now, Mastro added, “As we have said for months, we are committed to ensuring Elizabeth Street Garden remains a beloved community park and cannot be alienated in the future.” *We will keep you posted as news on the subject develops.* Source: https://secretnyc.co/nyc-legislators-designate-elizabeth-street-garden-as-a-city-parkland-in-attempts-to-preserve-the-nolita-green-space/