ASK PARKS FOR A CULTURAL CENTER ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE
The Issue
After 70 years of vacancy, we should be asking what this neighborhood needs- not simply what can be built there.
We are calling on NYC Parks to choose a future for this public space that truly serves the public.
For nearly seven decades, the former public restroom building at Allen Street and Delancey Street has sat vacant. Now, our community coalition has surveyed, organized and assembled a vision for what could happen there.
We are proposing the Lower East Side Cultural Center, rooted in community. A space that would restore desperately needed public bathrooms while creating a home for culture, education, creativity, and community on the LES.
A place for exhibitions, performances, workshops, classes, youth programming, and resource management
A place for artists, community organizations, and a place for intergenerational storytelling and neighborhood history.
A place for affordable cultural programming, public gathering, events and connection.
A public space for public benefit. And this vision didn’t come out of a boardroom.
It grew out of years of grassroots organizing, neighborhood relationships, and conversations with residents, artists, educators, cultural organizations, settlement houses, community leaders, and local institutions. It builds on the work we’ve already done to create free, accessible spaces for New Yorkers. And we believe this community deserves the opportunity to see that vision seriously considered.
This process should not simply be about who has the biggest development team, the most consultants, or the most resources to navigate a complicated procurement system.
It should be about what each proposal brings to the people of New York City.
Who will this space serve?
What will it contribute to the neighborhood?
Will it preserve and celebrate the history and culture of the Lower East Side and Chinatown?
Will it create meaningful opportunities for young people, artists, educators, and community members?
Will it be affordable?
Will it offer a public service that New Yorkers desperately need?
And most importantly: Will this public space actually belong to the public?
We believe the Lower East Side deserves a meaningful investment in culture, history, community, and public infrastructure—not simply another commercial destination.
The Allen & Delancey site sits at a crossroads of the Lower East Side, Chinatown, and the East Village. It is surrounded by generations of New Yorkers whose histories, cultures, and creative lives have shaped this city.
We are asking NYC Parks to:
Give the Lower East Side Cultural Center proposal a full, fair, and equitable review.
Evaluate proposals based on their long-term public benefit to the surrounding community.
Recognize the value of community-led organizations and grassroots partnerships in stewarding public spaces.
Prioritize cultural preservation, accessible programming, youth and workforce opportunities, and public restroom access.
Ensure that the future of Allen & Delancey reflects the needs, history, and voices of the communities who live, work, and create here.
We are not asking NYC Parks to give us special treatment. We are asking for a fair shot.
The Lower East Side Cultural Center is one possible future for this long-vacant public building, and it is a future worth considering.
After seven decades of sitting empty, Allen & Delancey deserves imagination. It deserves investment. And it deserves community. And the people deserve a voice in deciding what comes next.
If you believe public spaces should serve the public, please sign this petition.
If you believe grassroots organizations deserve a fair opportunity to steward our city’s public assets, please sign.
If you believe the Lower East Side deserves places to gather, learn, create, celebrate, and connect, please sign.
And if you believe that after nearly 70 years, it is finally time to do something beautiful with Allen & Delancey- please sign and share.
A community-led vision deserves a fair shot.
NO NEED TO DONATE TO THIS SURVEY
Sign today and help us fight for a more equitable future for public space in New York City.
Thank you for standing with us!
120
The Issue
After 70 years of vacancy, we should be asking what this neighborhood needs- not simply what can be built there.
We are calling on NYC Parks to choose a future for this public space that truly serves the public.
For nearly seven decades, the former public restroom building at Allen Street and Delancey Street has sat vacant. Now, our community coalition has surveyed, organized and assembled a vision for what could happen there.
We are proposing the Lower East Side Cultural Center, rooted in community. A space that would restore desperately needed public bathrooms while creating a home for culture, education, creativity, and community on the LES.
A place for exhibitions, performances, workshops, classes, youth programming, and resource management
A place for artists, community organizations, and a place for intergenerational storytelling and neighborhood history.
A place for affordable cultural programming, public gathering, events and connection.
A public space for public benefit. And this vision didn’t come out of a boardroom.
It grew out of years of grassroots organizing, neighborhood relationships, and conversations with residents, artists, educators, cultural organizations, settlement houses, community leaders, and local institutions. It builds on the work we’ve already done to create free, accessible spaces for New Yorkers. And we believe this community deserves the opportunity to see that vision seriously considered.
This process should not simply be about who has the biggest development team, the most consultants, or the most resources to navigate a complicated procurement system.
It should be about what each proposal brings to the people of New York City.
Who will this space serve?
What will it contribute to the neighborhood?
Will it preserve and celebrate the history and culture of the Lower East Side and Chinatown?
Will it create meaningful opportunities for young people, artists, educators, and community members?
Will it be affordable?
Will it offer a public service that New Yorkers desperately need?
And most importantly: Will this public space actually belong to the public?
We believe the Lower East Side deserves a meaningful investment in culture, history, community, and public infrastructure—not simply another commercial destination.
The Allen & Delancey site sits at a crossroads of the Lower East Side, Chinatown, and the East Village. It is surrounded by generations of New Yorkers whose histories, cultures, and creative lives have shaped this city.
We are asking NYC Parks to:
Give the Lower East Side Cultural Center proposal a full, fair, and equitable review.
Evaluate proposals based on their long-term public benefit to the surrounding community.
Recognize the value of community-led organizations and grassroots partnerships in stewarding public spaces.
Prioritize cultural preservation, accessible programming, youth and workforce opportunities, and public restroom access.
Ensure that the future of Allen & Delancey reflects the needs, history, and voices of the communities who live, work, and create here.
We are not asking NYC Parks to give us special treatment. We are asking for a fair shot.
The Lower East Side Cultural Center is one possible future for this long-vacant public building, and it is a future worth considering.
After seven decades of sitting empty, Allen & Delancey deserves imagination. It deserves investment. And it deserves community. And the people deserve a voice in deciding what comes next.
If you believe public spaces should serve the public, please sign this petition.
If you believe grassroots organizations deserve a fair opportunity to steward our city’s public assets, please sign.
If you believe the Lower East Side deserves places to gather, learn, create, celebrate, and connect, please sign.
And if you believe that after nearly 70 years, it is finally time to do something beautiful with Allen & Delancey- please sign and share.
A community-led vision deserves a fair shot.
NO NEED TO DONATE TO THIS SURVEY
Sign today and help us fight for a more equitable future for public space in New York City.
Thank you for standing with us!
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Petition created on June 24, 2026