▁East ▁Side ▁is ▁an ▁area ▁altern atively ▁known ▁as ▁SP UR A , ▁which ▁has ▁been ▁up ▁for ▁development ▁since ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 6 0 s . ▁SP UR A ▁covers ▁five ▁vac ant ▁plots ▁of ▁land ▁acquired ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁urban ▁renew al ▁plan , ▁near ▁Del ance y ▁and ▁Grand ▁Stre ets . ▁These ▁sites ▁were ▁originally ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁bro ader ▁S ew ard ▁Park ▁Urban ▁Ren ew al ▁Area , ▁a ▁federal ▁program ▁designed ▁to ▁te ar ▁down ▁several ▁ten ements ▁to ▁develop ▁low - in come ▁housing , ▁called ▁the ▁Cooper ative ▁Village . ▁Some ▁original ▁SP UR A ▁land ▁was ▁eventually ▁developed , ▁but ▁five ▁lots ▁remain ▁vac ant ▁to ▁this ▁day . ▁SP UR A ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁tract ▁of ▁und e velop ed ▁New ▁York ▁City - owned ▁land ▁in ▁Manh attan ▁south ▁of ▁ 9 6 th ▁Street , ▁but ▁debate ▁over ▁what ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁" app ropri ate ▁re development " ▁of ▁SP UR A ▁had ▁st alled ▁the ▁process ▁and ▁kept ▁it ▁und e velop ed . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁le ve led ▁ 2 0 ▁acres ▁on ▁the ▁southern ▁side ▁of ▁Del ance y ▁Street ▁and ▁removed ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 , 8 0 0 ▁low - in come ▁largely ▁Puerto ▁R ican ▁families , ▁with ▁a ▁promise ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁return ▁to ▁new ▁low - in come ▁apart ments ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁built