This was a vacant lot full of weeds and garbage when we put signs on the rusty fence surrounding it in the summer of 2011. Neighbors took notice. They contacted us. We connected them with one another. They collaborated and built a garden, started a community compost program, iterated, experimented and developed a community farm.
In January 2015, NYC’ s Department of Housing Preservation and Development( HPD) quietly published a list of 181“ vacant” properties that intended for sale for $ 1 to housing developers. We read it. We organized and won the transfer of the lot to New York City Department of Parks & Recreation for permanent preservation as a communitystewarded growing space.
Now this community can rely on this anchor institution to be there for their support and with their love for years to come. In 2017, the space is eligible for capital improvements. They will finally be getting a more welcoming official Parks Department fence via GreenThumb.
ANNUAL REPORT 2016
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