New York City gives the 'Lowline' underground park a green light

NEW YORK, July 15 (UPI) -- New York City's Lowline, a project to install a solar-powered park in an abandoned subway station, received its first government approval.

The ambitious plan, which envisions an acre of vegetation and educational displays in an underground subway terminal under Manhattan's Lower East Side, will require $60 million to be built. This week, the New York City Economic Development Corporation named the Lowline as the designated developer of the property.

Developers of the project were given one year to raise the first $10 million, before consideration is given to any public funding of the project.

The key element is getting sunlight to the site, far below Manhattan. A demonstration project, the Lowline Lab, has shown the project is feasible, with solar collectors mounted on the roof of an abandoned market. The Lab welcomed 70,000 visitors since it opened in October 2015, suggesting the Lowline, which would be the world's first underground park, could become a major New York City tourist attraction.

"I never even thought we'd get this far," co-founder Daniel Barasch told New York magazine. "It's basically like a giant version of, when you were a kid, using a magnifying glass to focus light to burn leaves and melt toy soldiers."

The Lowline's name mimics that of Manhattan's High Line, a former overhead rail line crossing Manhattan, now given over to a park and walking trails.