Elizabeth Street Garden saved in deal with NYC after battle that rallied celebs like Robert De Niro

The city has turned a new leaf.The beloved Elizabeth Street Garden in lower Manhattan will be preserved under a new agreement between City Hall and a local councilmember – and create five times more affordable housing units than what was called for under the city’s original plan to demolish the green space, City Hall said Monday.The quiet urban respite – championed by the likes of Robert De Niro and Patti Smith in recent months – will remain untouched while more than 600 units of affordable housing will be built at three other locations, pending respective rezoning of the sites.“Elizabeth Street Garden lives on,” Norman Siegel, Leading Attorney for Elizabeth Street Garden, said in a statement.“This beloved open green space and sculptural work of visual art will continue to serve the people of New York City as a needed public gathering place.“The creation of hundreds of new affordable housing units, including affordable senior housing, is a win-win for all,” he added.This is a developing story....