UPDATE 11/07:

On October 28th, CB3 (Community Board 3) voted unanimously in favor of SVG being made a permanent garden and transferred to City Parks. Join us on 13th Nov @ 6:30pm at BRC Senior Services Center - 30 Delancey Street (btwn Chrystie & Forsyth Sts) to ask CB3's Parks Committee to endorse this request. The meeting is a necessary step for us to get HPD to agree to our transfer to NYC Parks.

UPDATE: We have made it to the Community Board 3, Full Board Meeting on Tues 28th Oct, 6:30pm at PS 20 - 166 Essex St (E Houston & Stanton Sts) where we will be asking them to ratify a resolution proposed by the Land Use Committee on 10/14 to reject the sale of the lots our garden is on and support a transfer to NY City Parks to make the garden permanent. Please continue to show your support by sharing this link or joining us at the meeting in person.

Background:

Real estate developers are seeking permission to build 16 rental units (80% luxury) on the space the garden currently occupies. Siempre Verde is the Lower East Side's youngest Green thumb community garden and one of the few green spaces left in the neighborhood.

In 2012, volunteers began transforming two narrow rubble-strewn city-owned lots into an oasis where neighbors, children, plants, trees, birds and bees congregate. Everyone is learning to grow vegetables and flowers, and we have held over 70 community workshops and events including worm composting, art, music, design & yoga workshops. 1000 new apartments are being built within 2 blocks. The Lower East Side needs EXISTING green space, not more luxury development! Please help the garden and community by signing this petition.

Please forward this message! We also urge you to show your support in person at Manhattan Community Board 3 meeting where this issue will be reviewed on Tuesday, October 14 at 6:30pm at University Settlement - 184 Eldridge St (btwn Rivington & Delancey Sts).

This will show CB3 how important the garden is to the community and that disposing of it is not an option.

Interested in seeing our progress?  Check out our 1st year anniversary video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D291H8t88_k