2024-11-21T12:32:11-05:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150143411/contested-elizabeth-street-garden-redevelopment-in-nyc-receives-city-council-approval Alexander Walter 2019-06-26T18:37:00-04:00 >2024-10-25T04:07:38-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/19/19adbf4af119e2c13d6eb22becd366e3.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>It&rsquo;s official: After years of debate, heated public hearings, and lawsuits, the City Council has voted to approve the redevelopment of the Elizabeth Street Garden into low-income housing for seniors. The Council&rsquo;s vote was unanimous, save for one abstention from councilmember Rafael Espinal, who objected to the loss of a community garden for housing.</p></em><br /><br /><p>The Elizabeth Street Garden redevelopment in Manhattan's Little Italy neighborhood has been especially contested since one beloved green space was supposed to make way not for the usual luxury condo towers but for badly needed affordable housing designed for low-income seniors with support from Habitat for Humanity.</p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/64/644fff6b7230d4b30835a1b3ae26d495.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;enlarge=true&amp;w=1028" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/64/644fff6b7230d4b30835a1b3ae26d495.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;enlarge=true&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Street view. Image: Curtis + Ginsberg Architects</figcaption></figure><p>As <em>Curbed New York</em> <a href="https://ny.curbed.com/2019/6/26/18759979/nolita-nyc-affordable-housing-elizabeth-street-garden-approve" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">reports</a>, "the new housing development, known as Haven Green, will have 123 affordable apartments for seniors (37 of which will be reserved for the formerly homeless), along with programming for its residents, ground-floor retail, and&mdash;as originally planned&mdash;around 8,000 square feet of open space."<br></p>