City Seekers Program Shows the Benefits of Partnership

Together with the leadership of School District 1 Community Schools, Delancey Street Associates (DSA) crafted the City Seekers program. The program engaged local schools and encouraged some of their students to discover their own neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.

DSA, a joint venture of L+M Development Partners, Taconic Investment Partners, BFC Partners, the Prusik Group and Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group, is working to develop Essex Crossing, which I’ve mentioned in this blog previously.

Armed with pint-sized hard hats and buckets of enthusiasm, about 50 third, fourth and fifth grade students were led on guided tours of Essex Crossing by some of the DSA team. They were able to ask questions about construction, heard a little about civic engagement and marveled at the New York City skyline from The Essex roof top.

City Seekers take in the view from The Essex rooftop

The City Seekers program, which ran over two months, introduced students to the history of the Lower East Side, with a visit to the Tenement Museum, as well of some of the newer neighborhood fixtures like Trader Joe’s. Students also learnt about how we’re preserving the unique LES culture (The Essex Market is an example of this in action) as well as highlighted some of the exciting career paths in the real estate industry.

This program is a fantastic example of how partners can work together to engage the community in all aspects of a project. The program also demonstrates how developers can share the story of an evolving neighborhood, even with some of its youngest community members.