Low Line Endorsements and First Glimpse of Full-Scale Model

The folks behind the Delancey Underground announced yesterday that their “$75,000 in 75 days” fundraising effort for the Low Line was a success. As expected, an unidentified angel donor is matching the amount. Meanwhile, support for the nascent project - roughly the size of Gramercy Park – is seemingly at an all-time high. The ambitious endeavor continues collecting endorsements from local politicians like Speaker Sheldon Silver, State Senator Daniel Squadron, and Rep. Nydia Velázquez.

For its next trick, the Low Line is set to display a model of the park inside the sometimes-vacant Essex Street Market building south of Delancey. Work is already underway on the arts and crafts project, as evidenced by the open garage doors and base table. It should be ready to go by mid-September, which happens to be the one-year anniversary of the initial announcement.

For the record, though, we’re a little worried about how this subterranean “green” space, coupled with the looming SPURA redevelopment, might affect the delicate socioeconomic composition of the Lower East Side. We can clearly see the adverse effect of the High Line, and how it obliterated the unique character of its surroundings. The posh scalies included in the real estate literature say enough…