By Liya Cui
NEW YORK (Reuters) – 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 (0.4 hectare) 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.
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.”