He eventually began requesting city documents and researching the site’s history, which he said showed that the area was intended to remain publicly accessible.
The entrance to the plaza includes signage for the restaurant and a trellis. Miranda Levingston/Patch
Another plaintiff, Iskander Khan, told reporters Tuesday that he grew up in the neighborhood and remembers being kicked out of the plaza with his father when he was a child.
In the years since, Khan said, the plaza has “always felt like I’m trespassing.”
Brice Peyre, a representative for Councilmember Virginia Maloney, whose district includes much of the surrounding East Side, also spoke in support of the residents Tuesday.
“We all know the old expression, ‘Get off my lawn,'” Peyre said. “In this case, the people telling us to get off their lawn don’t actually own the lawn.”