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New York City's Pennsylvania Station — often shortened to Penn Station — serves more than 650,000 commuter rail and Amtrak passengers each day, earning the distinction of busiest transit hub in North America. With connections to the city's massive subway and bus network, the train hall is situated entirely underneath Madison Square Garden. The existing complex has been embroiled in controversy from its inception in the 1960s, when it replaced the previous Beaux-Arts station. The demolition of that historic structure, among others, has been credited with kickstarting the heritage preservation movement in the United States. As millions of commuters continue to pass through the cavernous corridors of the station, it's becoming clear that another overhaul is in order. This time though, a complete do-over may not attract the same animosity witnessed fifty years ago, rather, it would be welcomed as an opportunity to bring the outdated station into the 21st century.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has not kept his dislike for the station a secret, calling it "miserable" and "unwelcoming." Combining the lack of natural sunlight with the fact that the station accommodates three times the originally anticipated volume of passengers, it's becoming increasingly clear that a revitalization is due. This past January, Cuomo unveiled his $3 billion vision for the site called the Empire Station Complex.
A new tunnel underneath the Hudson River for New Jersey Transit and Amtrak lines would be added, plus another track for the Long Island Rail Road. La Guardia Airport would be served by a new rail connection, as well as Metro-North service to Connecticut, which currently departs from Grand Central Station. The existing corridors would be widened, improving traffic flow, and all ticketing modules would be reconfigured.
Across from Penn Station, the James A. Farley Post Office would be redeveloped into Moynihan Station which takes its name from Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who first spearheaded the idea of converting the space into a train hall in the 1990s. At 210,000 square feet, annexation of the building would increase Penn Station's overall size by 50%, pending an underground connection between the two spaces. The redevelopment of the post office may coincide with the Amtrak Gateway Project, currently in its design stage, which aims to alleviate the bottleneck on the Northeast Corridor between New York City and Newark, New Jersey.
The public-private partnership would be funded through a $325 million government contribution, while the remainder would be covered by the private sector. Investors would recoup their money through the rents from the retail spaces provided within the complex. As access to natural light would be one of the primary aspects of any winning proposal, the future of Madison Square Garden hangs in the balance. Though a relocation of the famed arena would afford its professional sports teams an opportunity for renewal, the cultural importance of the facility is treasured by New Yorkers. Cuomo's plans don't specify what will come of the arena, but its outlined "grand entrance" on 8th Avenue would at least necessitate the demolition of the Theater at Madison Square Garden.
Various schemes have been imagined throughout the years, including a series of proposals in 2013 by four notable architecture firms. SHoP Architects' plan would have moved Madison Square Garden to the southwest, built an extension to the High Line, and redeveloped the site of 2 Penn Plaza. Skidmore, Owings and Merrill also recommended moving the arena, this time to the lot just south of the post office, remaking the now clean slate over Penn Station into a mixed-use development. In similar fashion, Diller Scofidio + Renfro proposed moving the arena west of the post office and constructing a mix of uses on the Penn site, complete with theatres, a pool, restaurants, and park space. H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture would have constructed a new Hudson River pier beyond the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, placing Madison Square Garden at this location and using its original setting to house a revitalized garden-topped station with a skyscraper on each corner of the block.
Some of these ideas may be revived in the coming months, as firms prepare their submissions after a request for proposals was launched in January. They'll have until April 22 to outline their vision for Penn Station. Whether travelling by car, rail, foot, or bike, infrastructure must keep pace with the ever-changing transit patterns of big cities. New York City's extensive transit system is known the world over, and it looks like the time has come to reinvent one of the cornerstones of this crucial network.
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