Big Apple stars Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, and Patti Smith have rallied to preserve the historic Elizabeth Street Garden.
The A-listers wrote letters to Mayor Eric Adams this summer urging him to reconsider plans to demolish the garden for affordable senior housing and in hopes of saving the green space and sculpture garden in Nolita, the New York Post reported.
"The Garden is not only an oasis of greenspace within our city but truly stands as a work of art," Smith, 77, wrote in her Aug. 14 letter. As part of her initiative to raise awareness of the fate of the gardens, Smith has performed in the green space.
"Our great city is in danger of becoming a developer's unchecked haven, and we look to you to help us set a lasting precedent for how New York City will protect public art and green spaces for the future," she said.
The singer's last push Thursday came just weeks before the expected Sept, 10 demolition.
The plan to replace the 20,000-square-foot sculpture garden with 123 affordable senior housing units has faced years of legal disputes and public protests. Adams still has the authority to stop the project before construction starts.
Scorsese and De Niro, both 81, were raised in Little Italy and have used their experiences from the neighborhood in many of their films, including the famous 1973 movie "Mean Streets."
"When I was growing up, Little Italy was more or less a concrete jungle. We used to play in the alleys. There was no shade, no greenery, no respite-something that every neighborhood needs," Scorsese wrote in his July 22 letter. "The make-up of Little Italy may be different, but the need for a beautiful, refreshing oasis like the Elizabeth Street Garden has not changed. I wish it had been there when I was young."
De Niro highlighted his efforts to revitalize Manhattan through the creation of the Tribeca Film Festival. He argued that tearing down landmarks like the garden would undermine the work he and many other artists have done for the city over the years.
"I support increasing the availability of affordable housing (community leaders have identified alternate locations for development), but I'm also passionate about preserving the character of our neighborhoods," wrote De Niro in his letter to the mayor.
"Taking away the Elizabeth Street Garden is erasing part of our city's unique cultural history and heritage."
Despite their calls, a spokesperson for the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development stated that plans to demolish the park will continue.
"The fight over this land highlights how difficult it can be to build affordable housing, especially in neighborhoods that offer strong economic opportunities, but HPD and the Adams administration is undeterred," the spokesperson said.
"We look forward to delivering new affordable homes for older New Yorkers and we will continue advancing projects in every corner of the city to tackle the severe housing shortage driving this affordable housing crisis."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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