Emmanuel Chiche remembers his first encounter with Elizabeth Street Gardens, a charming green space hidden among the concrete buildings of lower Manhattan.
It was different from the city parks, he thought. He returned to his native France with dozens of old neoclassical statues and columns.
"This is where I learned there is love in the garden," says Chiche, 55, standing on a stone wall covered in pink roses. The guest stands below and brings one of the flowers to his nose. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath and savored the scent.
Since 2013, Chichen and other Little Italy residents have been concerned about the city's plan to replace the park with another building. But on Tuesday, they celebrated with a legitimate fight to keep the win.
State Supreme Court Justice Debra James ordered Elizabeth Street Gardens Inc., which manages and maintains the park, to block affordable housing at the site. Petition submitted in 2019 James ordered the property owner, New York City, to submit a full environmental impact report before construction is allowed.
"When I saw the ad, I was shocked," said Norman Siegel, a civil rights activist who represents the nonprofit. "The president's right says they have to take environmental issues seriously, and one of the issues they have to pay attention to is the loss of open space."
Sitting on a bench in front of Central Park on the Upper West Side, Siegel smiled broadly. The deputy head of government, who said they won, said the council could not support the development plan without showing it would have a negative impact on the environment.
The New York City Department of Housing and Development (HPD) called the judge's decision "disappointing" and said it would appeal in a statement to CNN, suggesting a long-term battle.
"Wrong choice" between affordable housing and green spaces.
Planned for the site is Haven Green, a 123-unit affordable rental complex for seniors, according to the development website. It also includes green spaces, retail shops and the new Habitat for Humanity in New York City.
HPD says Haven Green is needed to address New York's growing affordable housing crisis and is designed with the environment in mind.
"With 100,000 seniors currently waiting for affordable housing, we cannot allow a few anti-housing voices to stop the projects our city desperately needs," HPD said in a statement to CNN.
Open New York reflects the position of HPD, a grassroots group that advocates for affordable housing. "Housing is on the waiting list, and we cannot allow a small number of anti-housing voices to limit 100 percent of affordable housing in well-served neighborhoods," said Executive Director Annemarie Gray.
But Joseph River, CEO of Elizabeth Street Garden Inc., says it's not that simple.
His father, Alan River, was an artist who turned the wastelands into gardens on Elizabeth Street decades ago. The senior reverend, who ran the art gallery and filled the park with sculptures and artifacts, died in 2021 after nearly a decade of fighting to preserve the park for his son and thousands of volunteers.
"This is my father's property, but not my garden," said River, sitting down on a bench in one of his many quiet corners. "He belongs to the community, the community values him and if he loses it will hurt."
Open River HPD and New York's Elizabeth Street Gardens. A joint is an anti-equilibrium housing group.
"It's a fake election, it's a divide-and-conquer tactic. Well, do you prefer affordable senior housing or thriving community gardens? You're missing the point. We need both,” Rivers said. "We have to seriously question any agency or administration that says we can only have one or the other."
Karen Haycox of Habitat for Humanity New York said Haven Green plans to offer 16,000 square feet of public open green space.
Siegel said the green space promised by the project is "not ideal for Elizabeth Street Gardens" and would sacrifice key amenities the park currently provides, including access to sunlight and broad public activities.
District 1 Councilman Christopher March, who represents the district where the park grew up, said the community has submitted several proposals to the city to "build affordable high-rise housing in areas where we can get four times as much housing, than Elizabeth Street Gardens.' ..."
According to him, the council rejected this proposal.
The destruction of the park will have "major consequences".
Supporters of Elizabeth Street Gardens believe the environmental impact statement shows the Haven Green development will harm the environment and quality of life.
Christopher Kennedy, associate director of the New School's Urban Systems Lab, said this is a compelling result.
"The more green space, the better," Kennedy, who has authored research on the positive effects of green space in cities, told CNN. “Green spaces offer endless climate benefits, especially when it comes to urban flooding issues. With more extreme temperatures expected in 50 years, the amount of vegetation, like trees and shrubs, could cool the environment by several degrees overnight. It's life or death." may be
"When you take away green spaces, you make New Yorkers vulnerable," he said.
According to Kennedy, the loss of the parks will have a "huge" impact on the mental health of local residents. Many rely on the park's activities and programs for a sense of community, including morning yoga, summer movie nights, poetry readings and partnerships with local schools.
"This park is very special because there are many public parks and big parks, but they cannot provide the services that this park provides," he said. "Not only are you getting fresh air, but you're connecting with your neighbors and your community, which has a positive impact on mental health."
Advocates say it could also affect local wildlife. Certified by the National Wildlife Trust, Elizabeth Street Garden is registered for roadside nectar, nectar and the endangered monarch butterfly sanctuary.
The City Council has identified other parks that offer similar but not identical services, Councilor Marte said.
This neighborhood is "definitely" up there. “Our neighborhood shows that Elizabeth Street Park is the only place to green Little Italy, Chinatown, Soho and Nohora. As much as we love Washington Square Park, it's not our neighborhood. That's a whole different area, and most seniors don't do that. You can make it green. He can go to the park in 20 minutes.
Renee Green, local general manager and president of Elizabeth Street Gardens Inc., says gardens are important to her health and well-being.
"I've had arthritis since I moved here 15 years ago," said Green, 91. “Parks are everything to our community and for people like me who are getting older, to lose them is to lose us. Having access to nature, to community, and that's very difficult."
Nicholas O'Connell, 51, lives across the street from the park. He said removing it would change the face of society.
"You walk in this neighborhood and there are no trees, no nature, the destruction of the park and the ecosystem it created is completely unacceptable," he said. "We don't want what they're trying to bring, it's nothing like what we have here."
"We will never give up."
Along with notable sculptures from the Allan River Collection, Elizabeth Street Park features a gravel path flanked by decorative stone balustrades designed by French Golden Age landscape architect Jacques-Henri-Auguste Graeber.
Each corner of the sanctuary points in a different direction, with benches hidden under a canopy of colorful trees where birds sing for the hustle and bustle of the city. Sun seekers have endless opportunities to enjoy among the pear trees, rose beds, dahlias, daisies, dianthus and geraniums.
"It's like stepping out of a storybook into a magical garden, it's completely surreal," said garden volunteer Jenna DiGiglio.
On the opposite side of the hall, the couple sits on a bench and reads aloud. That night, the newlyweds ran laughing along the path leading to the garden entrance.
“My favorite thing is picking up my friends and seeing their faces when they first walk in; "What is this": And we found him charmed,” DiGiglio said.
The Department of Housing Preservation and Development continues to determine that Haven Green will not harm the community and is committed to the project. "We support our local assessment, we are committed to bringing Haven Green to this site and we will look at all ways to make it happen," he said.
To counter those efforts, Rivers said, the nonprofit wants to preserve Elizabeth Street Gardens as a de facto conservation area so the park and its community programs can continue to be maintained by the city.
In the meantime, River has asked Mayor Eric Adams and other officials to visit the park and see the impact. "Let's see the villain," he said.
After last week's official victory, he and his fans believe anything is possible.
“A lot of people see us as a little park that will never win. But at least we have won so far and we will never give up,” Chiche said.
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