There will be a new Penn Station, with or without office towers, says Hochul
The last
The proposed $7 billion overhaul of New York City’s Pennsylvania Station will proceed with or without the development of several office towers that were supposed to help pay for the project, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday.
In an appearance with other elected leaders and transportation officials at the Long Island Rail Road concourse, Ms. Hochul cut ties with the development plan her predecessor, Andrew M. Cuomo, had worked out with Vornado Realty Trust, a major office builder. Ms. Hochul acknowledged that the pandemic had wiped out demand for more office space in Midtown Manhattan and said she was “uncoupling” that development from the more pressing goal of renovating the Eighth Avenue underground station.
Ms. Hochul and the other speakers risked being drowned out by the cries of a group of protesters gathered just a few feet away, chanting things like “Don’t destroy our neighborhood!” and “No more luxury development!” Ms. Hochul said she didn’t know if her announcement counted as a concession to the opponents, but “they will understand that we heard them.”
Background: Rebuilding the gloomy station is a complicated task.
Penn Station is the nation’s busiest transit hub, serving as many as 600,000 commuters and travelers daily before the pandemic. Boring and overcrowded, it is widely reviled as an unwelcome gateway to the nation’s largest city. Ms Hochul called it a “hell hole”.
Amtrak owns the station, but officials agreed to let the Metropolitan Transportation Authority take the lead in managing the redesign. The official reason for Monday’s press conference was to kick off the design process, which Ms. Hochul said would “contain all concepts” for improving the station.
An option proposed by a subsidiary of the Italian firm ASTM Group is the construction of a rectangle of aluminum and steel around Madison Square Garden, which is located above the station. That plan has received support from some elected officials who want the station to turn from an eyesore to an asset to the neighborhood — but not from Janno Lieber, the CEO of the MTA ASTM, who planned to disclose details of his proposal. including a cost estimate. this week.
Why it matters: Most of the money is not secured.
The state’s plan to use payments from Vornado to cover some of the cost of the station improvements had drawn increasing opposition as area residents began an effective lobbying campaign. Meanwhile, Vornado chairman Steve Roth made it clear that the company would not be building office towers in Midtown any time soon.
That admission got Mrs. Hochul in trouble. She’s been adamant about her desire for an overhaul of the station, but estimates of how much it could cost range from $7 billion to as much as $10 billion.
New York has already appropriated $1.3 billion for the renovation, and Ms. Hochul said the state will pressure Washington lawmakers for a significant contribution. Amtrak and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy have also pledged their support. New Jersey Transit, a state-run commuter rail service, is one of Penn Station’s major users.
Amtrak president Tony Coscia said it was important for the two states and the federal government to work together to modernize the station.
“We have to prove to the world that we can build great things and that we can do it efficiently and well,” said Mr. Coscia.
What’s Next: Planners expect a deluge of suggestions and criticism.
The transport authority will invite architects, engineers and design firms to submit ideas to improve the station. “I want to be open-minded about all possible scenarios,” Ms Hochul said.
But opposition will continue to come from local residents and other critics, some of whom argue that Madison Square Garden should be moved so that a much grander Penn Station can be built on the site.
And there remains the possibility that the garden’s owners will sue to block the state’s plans if it could hinder their ability to continue hosting hockey and basketball games and concerts. The city’s planning commission is considering extending the garden’s permit to operate atop the station.