An abandoned subway terminal in New York City is being pitched for redevelopment into a sunlit , subterranean park -- replete with 60,000 square feet of flowers , ponds and trees . Located in Manhattan 's trendy Lower East Side , the vast underground space -- which is about the size of a football field -- has remained untouched since the terminal was discontinued back in 1948 . Now , a group of entrepreneurs are proposing an elaborate green makeover , in which sunlight would be `` harvested '' above ground and channeled into the vaults below via a network of fiber-optic cables -- creating an environment apparently filled with natural light and , in theory , ripe for growing all the foliage of a typical city park . `` Effectively , we 'd gather an image of the sky and sun at street level and distribute it underground , '' said James Ramsey , former NASA satellite engineer-turned-architect and the brains behind the idea . Ramsey began developing the Delancey Underground project ( named after the old New York street under which the park is planned ) after persuading the local transport authorities to give him , and co-founder Dan Barasch , a guided tour of its derelict carriage terminal . `` Sixty years of accumulated filth aside , I was struck by the beautiful historic qualities of the space -- with its cobblestone floors , original footway tiles and high-vaulted arched ceiling , '' recalled Ramsey . `` These are all features we 'd love to see carried through , but with the futuristic addition of a fully functioning community park . '' Read related : Could 'Earthscraper ' really turn architecture on its head ? Ramsey and Barasch 's romantic vision includes a polished , undulating ceiling plane from which the `` remote skylights '' -- developed by Ramsay to filter out harmful ultraviolet and infrared light frequencies -- will flood the park with sunrays all year-round , night and day . According to Ramsey , the technology is `` like a cross between a telescope and an endoscope '' -- capturing light from the sun and then transporting it through fiber-optic cables onto a relatively small focal point . `` Of course the lighting will be supplemented with an electric supply at night and during cloudy periods ... and we 'll also need additional energy for a ventilation system , '' said Ramsey . `` But for both cost and environmental purposes , any additional energy use will be as green and efficient as possible , '' he added . Comment : Would you give them your support ? Is the `` Delancey Underground '' project a feasible and much needed innovation or a pretty but impractical pipe dream ? Tell us you thoughts in the comments section below . Despite the possibility of this additional energy consumption , Barasch -- who also works for an NGO promoting socially innovative applications of technology -- is resolute about the park 's eco-credentials . `` This will be a distinctive testament to the varied applications and incredible promise of solar power , '' he said . `` It would also bring a slice of nature into one of New York 's least green areas , and encourage people to think about their relationship with the environment . '' The plans have drawn comparisons with the popular High Line -- another park built along an old railway way line -- in this case high above the city streets in New York 's Lower West Side . `` Rather than demolish what was there and replace it with shiny new office blocks or expensive apartments , the existing structure has been re-imagined to become a sustainable space for everyone to enjoy ... and we have very similar aims in that respect , '' said Ramsey . The terminal is currently under the control of the transport authority , and they have agreed to listen to the duo 's pitch -- but made it clear they will not submit any funding for the construction of the park . `` In the end , we will have to compete with other proposals , which will no doubt offer compelling commercial arguments for things like a car-parking lot or shopping mall , '' said Ramsey , who plans to finance the entire initiative through private funding and donations . The duo say it 's too early to put a price on how much the park will cost to build and run , but they are currently in the process of raising $ 400,000 for a full-scale demonstration of the `` skylight '' technology and a thorough feasibility study regarding the structural and ventilation conditions of the terminal . Barasch says that after a recent spate of community meetings , they also have the enthusiastic support of the locals .
A group of entrepreneurs are proposing an an underground garden for New York . Disused bus terminal will be filled with captured air , allowing for growth of plants . Creators say plans represent opportunity to introduce plants into one of New York 's least green areas . Pipe - dream or genuine innovation ? You tell us .