Tree For A Very Difficult Location?
 

Hello gardeners. I'm looking for suggestions for a tree to put in a
very difficult location. This is a street tree in a city environment
so it has all the rigors of living in a 2' x 2' pit (pollution, limited
water, road salt). The pit is next to a row of 4 story buildings so it
doesn't get all that much sun. The pit is partially filled with
construction debris (from what I've read this affects soil pH) and
here's the real problem - the pit is next to a laundramat and the
exhaust vent from the dryers blows directly on the pit. Besides the
extreme polution, the air is very warm all day and when the laundry
closes at night things can get very cold in the winter. I imagine
this daily dramatic temperature change is the biggest problem of them
all.

The city planted little leaf lindens on that side of the block and the
ones with no shade fried and died. The one next to the dryer vents
above also died and the ones in heavy shade are struggling. I can see
why they selected that particular tree but it just isn't right for all
the pits on the block.

The pit next to the laundry vent is already there and empty so I'd like
to put a tree there that has some chance of making it before the city
comes by again and puts in the wrong tree.

Any suggestions?

I'm in NJ (zone 7?) just across the Hudson from lower Manhattan.

Thanks for your help.