A cherished community garden in New Orleans is facing demolition after being sold under circumstances that have left locals outraged. A real estate firm owned by a Democratic lawmaker has facilitated the sale at a price reminiscent of decades past, adding fuel to the controversy.
This uproar centers on the Frenchmen Street Community Garden located in the city’s 7th Ward. What was once a neglected site post-Hurricane Katrina has blossomed into a vibrant community space, yielding thousands of pounds of fresh produce and eggs annually, thanks to the dedicated efforts of volunteers.
Beyond providing food, the garden hosts chickens and acts as a central hub for residents to gather. However, now the community is rallying to prevent the sale of the garden’s two lots, each contracted for a mere $15,000 by Delisha Boyd Realty, the real estate firm of Louisiana state Representative Delisha Boyd.
In a twist that has further inflamed tensions, property records reveal that one of these parcels last changed hands for a similar price back in 1963, underscoring concerns about the fairness and transparency of the transaction, as reported by Nola.com.
Gardeners and neighbors, who claim to have previously offered significantly more for the land, express frustration at not being given a chance to bid before the deal was finalized. Their sense of exclusion has turned this real estate transaction into a flashpoint for community dissatisfaction.
The dispute has become so heated that Mayor Helena Moreno’s administration is now reviewing whether City Hall has the authority to block the sale altogether.
The garden occupies two lots at the corner of Frenchmen and Marais streets.
The land was originally transferred through a post-Hurricane Katrina program that sought to put abandoned properties back into productive use.
The Frenchmen Street Community Garden occupies two lots at the corner of Frenchmen and Marais streets in New Orleans’ historic 7th Ward
The garden produces thousands of pounds of fruits, vegetables and eggs each year for locals
Public records show the two lots were placed under contract for $15,000 each through Delisha Boyd Realty who is also a Democratic Louisiana State Representative
For years, however, the site sat largely untouched and became overgrown.
That changed in 2019 when neighborhood volunteers cleared trash, removed invasive vegetation and gradually transformed the area into a lush, flourishing community space filled with fruit trees, vegetables, flowers, walking paths and a chicken coop.
According to organizers, the garden now distributes thousands of pounds of produce and eggs to local residents annually.
A Change.org petition launched to save the garden describes it as ‘the lifeline of our community’ and says it provides more than 2,500 pounds of organic produce every year while serving as a gathering place for residents of all ages.
The petition states that the site also provides free-range eggs, supports dozens of community trees, helps absorb stormwater through a bioswale system and hosts recycling drives, cleanup projects and plant exchanges.
Supporters say the garden has become particularly important in a neighborhood facing mounting development pressures, rising insurance costs and gentrification.
The current battle traces back to efforts by volunteers to secure permanent control of the land.
In 2023, organizers approached Neighborhood Housing Services, the nonprofit that owns the property, about purchasing or leasing the lots.
Volunteers transformed the once-neglected property into a thriving community garden after clearing trash and overgrown vegetation in 2019 – it now provides vegetables for neighbors
The garden includes fruit trees, vegetable plots, walking paths and a chicken coop maintained by volunteers
The Frenchmen Street Community Garden provides residents with daily access to free-range eggs produced by chickens kept on the community-run property
One of the parcels of land reportedly sold for roughly the same price in 1963, fueling criticism from opponents of the deal
The property was originally transferred through a post-Hurricane Katrina program aimed at returning abandoned land to productive use
Supporters launched an online petition urging Mayor Helena Moreno to intervene, arguing the garden is a critical source of fresh food, community programs and environmental benefits
According to reports, the gardeners offered $90,000 for the two garden parcels along with another lot owned by the nonprofit.
At the time, negotiations were handled by Delisha Boyd Realty.
Kristen Boyd, an agent with the firm and daughter of the state representative, reportedly responded that the nonprofit would be reluctant to sell ‘3 (lots) for the price of one.’
But supporters were stunned when eviction notices appeared on the garden’s chain-link fence in May.
Public records later revealed the property had already been placed under contract.
Garden organizers quickly launched a public campaign urging City Hall to intervene.
In a letter to Mayor Moreno, they argued they had previously submitted higher offers and would have done so again had they been informed the property was being sold.
‘Residents had previously made higher offers for these lots and were fully prepared to do so again had they been notified of the sale,’ organizers wrote.
They also warned that transferring land originally intended for public benefit to private interests at what they described as below-market rates raised serious concerns.
‘The transfer of land designated for public good at below market rates to private interests raises serious legal and ethical concerns and represents a profound failure of both fiduciary and civic duty,’ the letter stated.
The controversy has intensified scrutiny of Boyd, a Democrat who represents part of the New Orleans area in the Louisiana Legislature.
Residents say the garden has become increasingly important as the neighborhood faces gentrification and rising living costs
The community garden is home to a variety of fruit-bearing plants and trees, including mulberry, figs and banana trees cultivated by neighborhood volunteers
Residents are hoping public pressure and legal review will preserve the Frenchmen Street Community Garden for future generations
Supporters say preserving the garden would protect not only a source of fresh food but also a longstanding center of community life
Advocates say the project demonstrates how vacant urban land can be transformed into a valuable community asset
Boyd has previously faced questions regarding campaign finances and business dealings. Earlier this year she filed for bankruptcy, reporting more than $1 million in debts.
Lawyers hired to review her campaign finances previously concluded they found no evidence of wrongdoing.
Kristen Boyd has defended the sale and rejected allegations of misconduct.
She said she has represented Neighborhood Housing Services in property transactions for approximately a decade and said the nonprofit’s leadership had directed her to dispose of remaining assets.
According to Boyd, nonprofit CEO Amy Batiste informed her the organization intended to dissolve and wanted its remaining properties sold in what she described as a ‘fire sale’ for between $10,000 and $20,000 each.
Boyd also accused critics of unfairly targeting her mother.
‘The decision to target my mother is transparently retaliatory driven by who she is, not by any genuine belief that she or I engaged in wrongdoing,’ she told NOLA.com.
The dispute has also shone a spotlight on Neighborhood Housing Services itself.
Federal records show the nonprofit lost its tax-exempt status after failing to file required reports. Its website was later taken offline, while a listed business address is now occupied by a salon.
For many residents, the fight is less about politics than preserving a neighborhood institution.
Supporters describe the garden as a rare oasis of green space in a rapidly changing part of New Orleans
Organizers say the garden has become a symbol of grassroots neighborhood revitalization since volunteers restored the once-abandoned property
Cauliflower is among the crops cultivated by community volunteers on the Frenchmen Street garden’s plots
The garden also sees younger members of the community getting a taste for gardening
Volunteers regularly spend hours planting, watering, harvesting and maintaining the garden, helping transform the site into one of the neighborhood’s most cherished community spaces
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno’s administration is reviewing whether the city has authority to block the pending transaction of the sale of the community garden
Garden organizer Ashley Schneider said the space has become a place where neighbors connect while sharing food and resources.
‘If you walk up to someone and say, “Hey, I have these plants, would you like some?”,’ Schneider said, ‘It’s extremely rare that you’ll be greeted with anything other than a smile.’
For now, the fate of the Frenchmen Street Community Garden remains uncertain, but there may still be a path to saving it.
Mayor Moreno’s office is examining whether the city retains authority under the post-Katrina property transfer program to reject the transaction.
City spokesman Jonah Gilmore said: ‘The City is currently reviewing the extent of the mayor’s authority in this matter, but Mayor Moreno’s position is clear: if she has the authority to approve or disapprove this sale, she will not approve it.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to Delisha Boyd Realty and the Mayor’s Office for further comment.
