Public Press Conference, in Response to City’s Invitation to Developers to Submit Proposals to Destroy Elizabeth Street Garden

City Invites Developers to Submit Proposals to Destroy Elizabeth Street Garden:
Garden Supporters Vow to Fight!

Join Friends of Elizabeth Street Garden at a press conference from 1 – 2  p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21 at Elizabeth Street Garden to let the mayor and city council know that our community will not be ignored and that Elizabeth Street Garden should be saved!

Yesterday, NYC Housing Preservation and Development invited developers to submit proposals to destroy Elizabeth Street Garden, our beloved neighborhood green space in the heart of historic Little Italy. Garden supporters, who have worked tirelessly for the past three years to transform the beautiful garden into a virtual outdoor community center, vow to fight to save what many refer to as the “soul of the neighborhood.”

“The City has repeatedly threatened to move forward with plans to build on the Garden, and we knew this day would come,” said Jeannine Kiely, president of Friends of Elizabeth Street Garden. “We will not back down and allow real estate developers and elected officials to ignore us any longer. Council Member Chin has turned a deaf ear to her constituents, who overwhelmingly support saving Elizabeth Street Garden. Unfortunately, the administration is once again allowing politics to determine policy, despite receiving 4,500 community letters in support of saving the Garden and despite Manhattan Community Board 2’s recommendation for an alternative site with the potential for five times more affordable housing.”

Open to the public and FREE.