Drew Gardens to reopen after community effort to save it

It's been three months since members of the West Farms community gathered to try and save Drew Gardens. The gates were locked in February with the state Department of Transportation saying it was due to issues with registration and insurance.

News 12 aired the story on Feb. 8, and it didn't take long for word to spread. One of the senator's community liaisons, Emilia Cabrera, jumped into action connecting with the Drew Gardens team as well as state DOT and city parks. Representatives from every group involved toured the grounds a few days later.

Nearly two months later, Drew Gardens was saved. It was a team effort between the community, city agencies and elected officials. NYC Parks says it is exploring ways to safely support the reopening in the near future. The state DOT says it is working with parks toward that goal.

According to the Garden Board, there's some legal paperwork that has to be drawn up and a four-foot high fence to build between the Bronx River and the garden for increased safety. The valued community space can open its gates once again once those requirements are met.

Drew Gardens is set to reopen either later this month or in June.