The Lowline: an underground park could become reality in NYC

Manhattan is home to numerous deserted subway stations and underground vaults. Just below Delancey Street, there is a terminal that has not been used since 1948. Two young entrepreneurs are to transform this former Williamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal into ‘The Lowline’, an underground park.

The former terminal is a one-acre area, big enough for the entrepreneurs’ plans for a unique solar-powered underground park, that is to become a vibrant year-round oasis for residents and visitors.

The site was opened in 1908 for trolley passengers, but has been unused since 1948 when trolley service was discontinued. On The Lowline’s website, the project is described: “Despite six decades of neglect, the space still retains some incredible features, like remnant cobblestones, crisscrossing rail tracks and vaulted ceilings. It is also directly adjacent to the existing JMZ subway track at the Essex Street subway stop– so park visitors and subway riders would interact daily. This hidden historic site is located in one of the least green areas of New York City – presenting a unique opportunity to reclaim unused space for public good.”

The plans for ‘The Lowline’ are currently under negotiation with the City and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The park would have enough solar power to support plant growth and provide sunlight to the space below. To the initiators, the Lowline would offer a beautiful place to reconnect with the natural environment, even in the cold of winter. The initiators recently launched a Kickstarter page to crowd-source funding for a laboratory for solar research.

Image by Kibum Park/Raad Designs