[3][4] The garden includes various sculptures, many of which are taken from the collection of Allan Reiver, who operated the neighboring Elizabeth Street Gallery.

[8][5] In 1981, the Little Italy Restoration Apartments were built on Spring Street, including much of the former school site, with the remaining space maintained as a recreational area.

[9] In 1990, the Manhattan Community Board 2 Parks Committee passed a resolution in favor of leasing it to owner of the Elizabeth Street Gallery, Allan Reiver.

[4] The initial garden included perennials, native plants, and trees and adding architectural elements like gates, fencing, statuary, tables, and seating from Reiver's gallery collection.

[5][8] In 2013, community members learned that the city was planning to replace the garden with a residential building for low-income senior citizens, and organized talks and protests to save it.

[8][19][20] The next year, the city selected a proposal named Haven Green, which was to contain 121 apartments for senior citizens[21] and be seven stories high.

"[23] In April 2017, members of FESG and the original community group branched off to form Elizabeth Street Garden (ESG), a community-run nonprofit.

[24] Manhattan Community Board 2 voted in January 2019 to recommend that Haven Green not be built on the Elizabeth Street Garden site,[25] but Brewer approved the development the next month.

[22][34] During the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, Joseph Reiver invited local schools to host classes at the Elizabeth Street Garden.

[5] In November 2022, the New York Supreme Court ruled that the city had to conduct an environmental impact statement before proceeding with construction.

[36][37] In June 2023, the Appellate Division, First Department, unanimously reversed and found that the city government's environmental assessment was satisfactory.

[42] Celebrities such as Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, and Patti Smith also participated in efforts to preserve the garden.