But renovation fails to win consensus
A stroll through the streets of Mott Haven is immediately eye-catching for what is not seen: green spaces. The reopening in September of Willis Ave. Community Garden after nine months of renovation is a breath of fresh air in the neighborhood. But even with a total budget of $300,000 for renovation and long-term maintenance, the brand new park fails to get consensus from everyone.
In fact, the gardeners, mostly Puerto Ricans, are torn between nostalgia for the old garden and excitement for the new one. Their preferences reflect the generational shift in the neighborhood.
Santi Natal, 60, has been the Community Garden’s chair for nearly seven years.
“The renovation has taken away the authenticity and the soul of the community garden“ she said, adding “Before, I had the impression to be in a small village of Puerto Rico every time I came here”.
One year ago, New York Restoration Project, a non-profit organization offered to renovate the park thanks to a Perlman Family Foundation’s donation.
“They said, ‘we got money, we got donations.’ I only asked them to change the fence. Nine months after, one of my trees died and the kitchen was taken away. I can’t cook anymore,” Natal said.
Community activist, Hector Feliciano, 52, agrees with Natal about the changing ambiance of the garden: “The old version was warmer. It felt better. The renovation took away the unity of the garden”, he said. However, for him, it was a necessary sacrifice.
“It was worth it. Now, we have to get used to it’,” Feliciano added. They both deplored the fact that the new casita looks more like a basic stage than a real Puerto Rican casita. This one-story wood frame shed structure popular in gardens for social gatherings in Puerto Rico was supposed to be the main attraction of the garden.
However, in an e-mail response, Anne Tan, New York Restoration Project’s spokesperson, said the non-profit organization “shared and adjusted potential designs, using feedback from gardeners and local residents.” Tan went on to write, “We held a series of three meetings with community members in the local neighborhood to complete a thorough needs assessment,” she added.
Indeed, not everyone is unhappy with the new renovation. Some younger residents say the garden provides much needed facilities, like a new pergola and shed. Domingo Nuñez, 36, who has been living close to the park for six years, supported the project from the beginning. He said the new garden is cleaner, safer and greener.
“I feel more comfortable because the garden is more secure. Before the renovation, I couldn’t bring my son because we were not protected from the sunlight. There was no covered veranda,” he added.
Among the new facilities, Nuñez prefers the casita. In the future, the garden will have all the modern amenities his generation craves… the Restoration Project has plans to outfit it with Wi-Fi and solar panels for electricity and amenities.
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