Mayor Mamdani Abandons Elizabeth Street Garden Housing Project

Mayor Zohran Mamdani is expected to abandon a plan to construct affordable housing on the site of the Elizabeth Street Garden in Lower Manhattan. The project, previously supported by former Mayor Eric Adams, aimed to build 123 affordable homes for seniors and homeless residents on the one-acre NoLIta site.

The development faced intense opposition from local residents and celebrities. The conflict escalated when former deputy mayor Randy Mastro designated the site as parkland, prompting developers Pennrose, Habitat for Humanity, and RiseBoro to sue the city. The Mamdani administration is now expected to settle the lawsuit by agreeing to cease all development on the garden site.

To compensate for the loss of the planned units, the city is moving forward with an alternative project to build 180 affordable homes at 22 Suffolk Street.