Good News: HPD Request Not Funded by LMDC

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Good News: HPD Request Not Funded by LMDC

Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) announced the recipients of its $50 million settlement funds today. The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) had applied to LMDC for $5 million of the funds for an affordable housing project at 21 Spring that would have destroyed Elizabeth Street Garden. HPD's proposal was not among the 14 organizations the LMDC granted funds.

Had the project received the requested funding, saving the Garden would have become more difficult. In September, more than 200 neighbors attended a hearing and 1,500 people wrote letters to persuade LMDC not to fund the grant because the proposal to build housing at the expense of our beloved Garden did not have a high level of community interest and support. We are grateful for our devoted Garden supporters, and we should all be proud of this hard work.

Friends of Elizabeth Street Garden requests that HPD, Manhattan Community Board 2 (CB 2) and our elected officials work together to achieve affordable housing development in the district while preserving the Garden, a heavily used and much loved green oasis in Little Italy and SoHo.

We extend special thanks for the leadership provided by CB 2 and the support received from many of our elected officials: Representative Jerrold Nadler, Senator Daniel L. Squadron, Senator Brad Hoylman and Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick. The effort to defend our open spaces also depends on many dedicated organizations working together, and we offer thanks to the 16 parks and community groups that support our cause:

Parks Organizations

Community Organizations

How You Can Help: Donate, Volunteer and Help Plan the 2016 Season

The Garden is not yet saved, but with your help, we will continue to show HPD that our community is united in a commitment to preserve this beloved open space.

Donate online here or mail a check to Friends of Elizabeth Street Garden Inc., 235 Elizabeth St., Ste. 23, New York, NY 10012. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Attend a Volunteer Orientation —
Saturday, March 19, 10 – 10:30 a.m. or Sunday, March 20, 1 – 1:30 p.m.
Learn how easy it is to volunteer as little as an hour a month to help keep the Garden open. The more greeters who volunteer, the longer the Garden can remain open daily. Please reach out to your friends and neighbors, as well, and encourage them to volunteer.

Attend Our Monthly Garden Meeting — Sunday, March 20, Noon – 1 p.m.
Location: Lovely Day, 196 Elizabeth St., lower level, between Prince and Spring streets.

We will focus this month on 2016 programming. If you or your local community organization are interested in providing free, public programming or hosting a special event or performance in the Garden, please complete this event form by March 22.

Join Us Saturday in the Garden

Spring Prep! — Saturday, March 19, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
It feels like spring. Come outside and play in the dirt. Join Friends of Elizabeth Street Garden for bagels & spreads and coffee and help get the Garden ready for the season. We'll clean, cut back, dig and divide. BYOPruners, if you have them. No gardening experience required, just come ready to help. Everyone is welcome.

DNAInfo features Spring Prep! in "13 Things To Do in Your Manhattan Neighborhood This Weekend."

All Garden activities and events are open to the public and FREE. For up-to-date details, check out and subscribe to the Garden calendar.

NEW Early Spring Garden Hours

Early Spring Garden Hours (weather permitting)
Weekends, Noon – 5 p.m.

Volunteers keep the Garden open during the sunniest and warmest hours of the day, year-round. Email volunteer@elizabethstreetgarden.org to help.

See you in the Garden.

Volunteer, attend events and join the conversation:

Donate

Friends of Elizabeth Street Garden Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in 2014 in New York with the mission to preserve Elizabeth Street Garden as a unique public green, open space and NYC Park. Contributions made for the charitable purposes of Friends of Elizabeth Street Garden are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

A copy of the latest annual report may be obtained, upon request, from Friends of Elizabeth Street Garden, 235 Elizabeth St., Ste. 23, New York, NY 10012 or the New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, Third Floor, New York, NY 10271.

Friends of Elizabeth Street Garden

235 Elizabeth St., Ste. 23

New York, NY 10012

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