To prevent Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani from turning Nolita’s Elizabeth Street Garden into senior housing as first intended over a decade ago, Mayor Eric Adams is designating the one-acre green space as official city parkland. As first reported by Gothamist , Adams is transferring ownership of the lot to the Parks Department, which would require any development on the site to be approved by the state legislature. The move comes less than two months before Mamdani, who said he would build affordable housing at the site, takes office.

Plans to build Haven Green, a 123-unit rental for extremely low-, very low-, and low-income seniors with a 16,000-square-foot public garden, were first announced for the site of Elizabeth Street Garden over 10 years ago and approved by the City Council in 20

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