The city is reportedly one step closer to turning Little Italy's Elizabeth Street Garden—a private community garden dotted with statues between Spring and Prince Streets that hosts tai-chi, baby yoga, and movie nights—into affordable housing for seniors.

The plan, which has actually been kicking around since 2012 as part of NYC's slow-moving SPURA project (the garden only opened its gates to the public in 2012), just got a big boost—according to DNAInfo, the Department of Housing and Preservation (HPD) has applied for a $6 million grant from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) for affordable housing at 21 Spring Street, the lot that contains the garden.

HPD's plan calls for at least 60 units of affordable housing designated for seniors. At a Community Board 2 meeting earlier this month, HPD representatives told neighbors that any open space associated with the new development would likely only be accessible to residents.

Community Board 2 is not pleased. "CB2 has a real shortage of open space, and the location around the garden is the grayest part of our map," said CB2 Chair Tobi Bergman. "SoHo, Little Italy, NoHo—there are no parks over there. SoHo has very long, densely-built streets, and people are confined to small interior spaces with little light and air."

According to Friends of Elizabeth Street Garden, Little Italy and SoHo make up 23% of CB2's population, and only 3% of its green space.

Local councilwoman Margaret Chin is in support of the affordable housing plan, arguing that the neighborhood "desperately" needs it. "As the number of seniors in this neighborhood grows, so does the demand for affordable housing units tailored to the needs of elderly New Yorkers," she said.

The catch for Chin and HPD, however, is that the LMDC requires a "high level of community interest and support" for all of its projects—something it may not get from CB2.

"People are dedicated to the garden," Bergman said. "It literally has hundreds of volunteers." A public hearing on the project, hosted by the LMDC, is being scheduled for September.

