Here's What Designers Have In Mind For The Underground Park On The Lower East Side

LOWER EAST SIDE, NY — The designers behind a proposed underground park on the Lower East Side are considering selling tickets to tourists to access the park while allowing local residents to use it for free, they said at a community presentation last week.

The Lowline is a proposal for an underground park that would use solar technology to bring sunlight to the below-ground green space. The designers behind the project have pitched the park as an underground twist on the High Line in Chelsea. The idea is to convert an abandoned underground trolley terminal into green space. Designers have spent years developing the concept, which is still many years away from being a reality. The abandoned trolley terminal, which has been empty for decades, lies beneath Delancey Street and stretches about three blocks in length.

Last week, representatives from the Lowline presented the results of a months-long community engagement process to local residents. In a detailed presentation, Lowline officials told a local community board committee about concerns that residents had expressed about the $80 million park, and possible solutions that the park's planners are considering to keep the space community-focused. Since plans for the park were made public in 2011, one of the most prevalent concerns is that it would exacerbate gentrification in the rapidly changing neighborhood. The Lowline launched the community tour to hear about these and other concerns from residents in a series of workshops, public forums and other outreach efforts.

In order to keep the Lowline free and accessible for local residents, project planners are considering a number of steps to generate income for the park, including charging tourists for access to the park or asking them for donations, or renting the park out for private events like weddings or galas, according to last week's presentation.

Community members have also requested that the space be focused on science and technology, and provide learning opportunities for young New Yorkers interested in learning about science and engineering. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Much of the concern about how the Lowline could impact the Lower East Side stems from the unexpected popularity of the High Line in Chelsea. The elevated park built on abandoned railway tracks attracts millions of tourists each year. Its popularity has been accompanied by soaring rent prices and multiple luxury residential buildings which bookend the park. In February, one of the creators of the High Line admitted the project had "failed" to fully consider how the Chelsea park would impact the surrounding neighborhood.

A number of local activist groups remain opposed to the Lowline.

The Lowline has been granted conditional approval by the city's Economic Development Committee to continue developing plans and fundraising goals for the park. The city has not yet committed any public funds to the park.

Image credit: Rendering courtesy of NYEDC