Made in the Lower East Side (miLES), an organization that works to open up underused storefronts for new and creative uses, is launching an exciting new project called Storefront Transformer. The project, which has just launched its Kickstarter campaign, will turn a vacant storefront in the Lower East Side into a pop-up community hub over the course of 7 weeks in November and December. The transformed space will be used in a variety of formats – a gallery, co-working space, museum, retail shop and more – and its programming is driven by community input. Re-imagining the future and uses of vacant storefronts in NYC, the project is both feasible and ambitious, with the potential to reshape NYC.

Kim Tas, a former Design and Management (BBA) student at the School of Design Strategies working on the project, describes it as a project that “activates a vacant storefront and provides an opportunity for creators to prototype and incubate new ideas ranging from fashion pop-up shops to classes and workshops.”

Visit the Kickstarter page, check out the video , explore the project website, and help this innovative project reach its funding goal!

Kickstarter: http://kck.st/158sEPG

Storefront Transformer: http://storefronttransformer.com/

Treehugger.com Blog Write-Up: http://www.treehugger.com/urban-design/made-in-lower-eastside-miLES-storefront-transformer-pop-up-new-york-city.html

About miLES:
Described by Fast Company as “Airbnb” for “community storefronts,” miLES is working with community members to identify, program and fill underused spaces and turn them into vibrant community hubs for working, learning, connecting, and starting up new projects.