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Taking inspiration from the success of the city’s High Line park, The Delancey Underground project seeks to transform an abandoned trolley terminal into New York City’s first underground community green space. Beneath one of the least green areas of the city, the Lower East Side, lies a massive, unused space nearly the size of Gramercy Park. Spearheaded by James Ramsey and Dan Barasch, this project envisions using an advanced solar technology to channel sunlight underground, enabling plants and trees to grow.

A new technology, designed by James Ramsey of Raad Studio, channels sunlight below ground, enabling plants and trees to grow.

Progress to Date
• Filed for 501(c)(3) status
• Completed initial scoping exercise with HR&A
• Received support from Community Board 3
• Working closely with MTA and EDC
• Received support form Lower East Side Business Improvement District Board
• Received support from key political stakeholders at city and state level
• Gaining support with community leaders
• Building organization: communications (web/social media/email), leadership

Next Steps
• Conduct formal feasibility study to assess likely cost, impact, and strategy
• Increase official political and community support”
• Coordinate launch fundraiser event: March 2012
• Build large-scale technology demo event: May 2012
• Initial fundraising target of $450,000
• Continue to engage with political stakeholders throughout RFP process

View full report (PDF): The Delancey Underground

View images (Flickr): The Delancey Underground

About the Delancey Underground Project
www.delanceyunderground.org
“The Delancey Underground project seeks to transform an abandoned trolley terminal into New York City’s first underground community green space. Beneath one of the least green areas of the city, the Lower East Side, lies a massive, unused space nearly the size of Gramercy Park. This project envisions using an advanced solar technology to channel sunlight underground, enabling plants and trees to grow.”

Tags: Dan Barasch, High Line, James Ramsey, Low Line, Lower East Side, New York City, NY, NYC, park, parks, The Delancey Underground Project

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 29th, 2011 at 10:00 am and is filed under Environment, Green, Land Use, Local, Private Investment, Public Parks & Recreation, The Infra Blog, Uncategorized, Urban Planning . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.