Editor’s note: the following story was originally published in the September edition of The Lo-Down’s print magazine:

For close to 20 years, the Essex Street Market building at the southeast corner of Essex and Delancey streets has been little more than a relic of the Lower East Side’s pushcart past. If the city has its way, the mostly vacant 1940 structure will face a bulldozer in the next few years, as the Seward Park area redevelopment project moves forward. This month, however, the building will come alive again, as the founders of the “Lowine,” the much-buzzed-about proposal to create a park below Delancey Street, stage a large exhibition in the rarely used space.

The big event, “Imagining the Lowline,” is a huge step for creators James Ramsey and Dan Barasch, who officially unveiled their bold idea one year ago. In the past several months, Ramsey and Barasch have gained the support of local elected officials, community organizations and potential financial backers. The exhibition and a series of events surrounding it are intended to answer several critical questions, including how much the project is likely to cost and whether it’s technologically feasible.