It’s Manhattan’s largest swath of undeveloped land south of Central Park, and plans are underway to finally put it to use.
Developers and architects have been chosen for the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area, a stretch of the Lower East Side near the Williamsburg Bridge where a row of tenements stood nearly four decades ago.
There, along Delancey and Essex Streets, the long-vacant lots will be transformed into retail markets, restaurants, office space, a movie theater, parks, an Andy Warhol Museum, an expanded public market and1,000 apartments, half of which will be set aside for low- and middle-income families, according to city officials.
“For decades, these lots have sat vacant and under-used – despite repeated attempts by various mayors to redevelop sites,” said Mayor Bloomberg.
“We struck a real partnership with community leaders, and that collaborative process has produced very rewarding results: an innovative, modern plan that complements the Lower East Side’s history and traditions.”
The Essex Crossing project will be developed by L&M Development Partners, BFC Partners, Taconic Investment Partners, and Grand Street Settlement. The development will be designed by SHoP Architects and Beyer Blinder Belle
The land has been vacant since 1967.