A New York appellate court lifted a nearly four-month restraining order Thursday, unblocking NYCHA's plan to demolish all 18 buildings at the Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses in Chelsea and rebuild with Related Companies — over the objections of senior residents facing forced relocation.

A New York appellate court lifted a nearly four-month temporary restraining order Thursday, clearing the New York City Housing Authority and developer Related Companies to move forward with plans to demolish all 18 buildings at the Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses in Manhattan and replace them with six taller towers.

The TRO had been in place since February after a group of residents and petitioners — including former State Sen. Tom Duane — sued, arguing the project had not cleared standard city and land-use reviews. The appellate panel found the petitioners had not demonstrated the level of continuing harm required to maintain the pause.

"While relocation may be inconvenient and difficult, particularly for seniors, petitioners have not demonstrated that it rises to the level of irreparable harm," the ruling states. The court also noted that residents had been guaranteed replacement apartments, units in the new buildings once complete, and moving assistance.

The immediate friction point is Chelsea Addition, a senior-only building whose residents NYCHA has asked to vacate first — moving to temporary units nearby — to clear the construction sequence. Dozens refused. Yu Zhen Story, a Chelsea Addition resident who turns 80 this week, said in a statement after Thursday's ruling that she and neighbors over 90 are anxious about moving twice while construction unfolds. "We want to find a place to rest for the end of our lives," she said, according to City Limits, which first reported the ruling.

The project would rebuild roughly 2,000 public housing apartments across six new towers — all guaranteed to current residents, NYCHA says — while also adding 2,500 market-rate and 1,000 affordable units on the site. Related Companies, the developer behind Hudson Yards, is the private partner. First replacement buildings are expected to be move-in-ready in 2028 and 2029.

NYCHA has framed the joint venture as a capital necessity: a 2023 city estimate put the repair need for Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea alone at more than $927 million, against an authority-wide deficit of roughly $80 billion. Miguel Acevedo, president of the Fulton Houses Tenants Association, told City Limits the ruling was "long-awaited" and called private redevelopment "probably the best thing that's ever happened to public housing."

Others remain skeptical. Elliott-Chelsea resident Jane Rao, a member of the opposition coalition, said in a statement that she believes "privatization has more risks for us" and questioned why buildings she considers repairable should be demolished. The court's lift of the TRO resolves the immediate legal question — it does not settle the political one, which is still running on a separate track.