Residents of the Riverside apartments in Brooklyn Heights are accusing their landlord of trying to make a quick buck by destroying their historic garden.
The building's landlord has submitted plans to the Landmarks Preservation Committee to replace the garden with a parking garage. The garden, which was built in 1890, was part of a larger courtyard before the Brooklyn Queens Expressway was built. Residents say they were not notified about the plan and say the garden is part of the history of the building.
The tenants say they have a legal claim to the garden through a previous court battle. They say the state mandated that the courtyard and garden be restored. A spokesperson for the landlord says the mandate will be met by putting a garden on the roof.
A hearing with the Landmarks Commission is scheduled for April 25.