Penn Station

Private firm unveils Penn Station redesign plan, claims it’s $1B cheaper than MTA’s

Renderings courtesy of ASTM, PAU, and HOK

June 29, 2023

Private firm unveils Penn Station redesign plan, claims it’s $1B cheaper than MTA’s

By
A private development firm unveiled a proposal for rebuilding Penn Station that is $1 billion cheaper than what is proposed by the MTA. ASTM North America on Wednesday revealed details of their $6 billion renovation of the transit station, which involves keeping Madison Square Garden in its current location, wrapping it in a massive stone facade, and creating a more unified train hall. The firm's unveiling of the comprehensive plan comes days after Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that Penn Station's renovation will move forward with the preliminary design process without the development of several office towers.
Find out more
Hochul drops office towers from Penn Station renovation plan

View of mid-block train hall facing south; Renderings Courtesy of FXCollaborative / WSP / John McAslan + Partners

June 27, 2023

Hochul drops office towers from Penn Station renovation plan

By
The renovation of Penn Station will move forward without the construction of several skyscrapers, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday. The governor's plan to overhaul the busy transit hub originally called on the developer Vornado to redevelop 18 million square feet of the Midtown West neighborhood, including 10 new high-rise office towers, with the tax revenue generated helping fund the station overhaul. Now, Hochul says funding from the state and federal government makes it possible to move forward with the renovation without any development proceeds.
See the plan
MSG should stay above Penn Station, says Manhattan borough president

Rendering: ASTM North America

May 22, 2023

MSG should stay above Penn Station, says Manhattan borough president

By
Madison Square Garden should be granted a new operating permit and be allowed to stay put, as long as it gives up some of its space for the expansion of Penn Station, Manhattan Borough Mark Levine said on Monday. As first reported by Crain's New York, Levine's recommendation includes demolishing MSG's theater and replacing it with a new grand entrance facing Eighth Avenue, a new mid-block entrance, and a double-height concourse. To do this, Levine advises giving MSG a new five-year special permit, if the Garden works with the city, state, and railroads to redevelop Penn Station and the surrounding area.
Details here
New Penn Station overhaul proposal adds Vishaan Chakrabarti to design team

All images courtesy of ASTM North America

April 17, 2023

New Penn Station overhaul proposal adds Vishaan Chakrabarti to design team

By
Earlier this year, Vornado Realty Trust shelved plans to redevelop the area around Penn Station with several office buildings, citing poor economic conditions. Revenue from the proposed 18-million-square-foot redevelopment of Midtown West was expected to help fund the renovation of the despised transit hub. With that proposal on hold, an alternative plan has materialized that promises to leave Madison Square Garden in place and cost less money than the original project. And on Monday, the design team announced a new addition: Vishaan Chakrabarti of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU).
Details here
Vornado pauses plan to redevelop area around Penn Station

Rendering courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office

February 16, 2023

Vornado pauses plan to redevelop area around Penn Station

By
The plan to redevelop the area around Penn Station with several new skyscrapers is officially on hold. During a conference call this week, Steven Roth, the chief executive officer at Vornado Realty Trust, the developer behind the project, said new construction is "almost impossible" because of current market conditions, as Crain's first reported.
Details here
MTA selects design team for Penn Station renovation

Photo by Danazar on Wikimedia

September 22, 2022

MTA selects design team for Penn Station renovation

By
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has selected a group of architects and engineers for the $7 billion redesign of Penn Station, with the agency's board voting to approve the contract on Wednesday. The agency tapped FXCollaborative Architects and WSP USA to bring their Penn Station Master Plan to life, with further assistance from London-based John McAslan + Partners as collaborative architects. According to Gov. Kathy Hochul, work will begin "in the coming months."
See more here
MTA unveils new 18-foot ceilings at Penn Station’s LIRR concourse

Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

August 3, 2022

MTA unveils new 18-foot ceilings at Penn Station’s LIRR concourse

By
Let there be light! The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Tuesday unveiled the first section of new 18-foot ceilings at Penn Station's Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) concourse. Installed by Skanska/AECOM, the new soaring ceilings consist of lighted panels supported by an inventive structural framing system that allowed work crews to remove "head knockers," aging structural beams that limited the height of passageways within Penn Station, earlier this year.
See more here
Hochul, Adams reach agreement on financing for Penn Station rebuild

Photo by Danazar on Wikimedia

July 19, 2022

Hochul, Adams reach agreement on financing for Penn Station rebuild

By
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday that they have reached an agreement on who will pick up the tab for the planned reconstruction and expansion of Penn Station and the redevelopment of the surrounding area. The financial agreement between city and state assures that a consistent level of property tax revenue is maintained and underscores a commitment to not raising taxes or transit fares by using funds from privately financed development to help pay for the project.
Find out more
New York looks for architect to design new $7B Penn Station

All renderings courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

June 9, 2022

New York looks for architect to design new $7B Penn Station

By
The plan to modernize Penn Station has officially entered the design phase. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday announced the state is now requesting proposals from architecture and engineering firms to redevelop the dark and crowded Midtown transit hub into a light-filled train station "worthy of being the epicenter of the most vibrant city on the planet," according to the governor. Proposals are due July 28 and a winning bid could be selected by late summer or early fall.
Get the details
Penn Station’s transformation takes next steps with removal of low-hanging beams

All images courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA

March 9, 2022

Penn Station’s transformation takes next steps with removal of low-hanging beams

By
A major step in the transformation of Penn Station has begun. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on Tuesday announced they would begin the removal of seven massive low-hanging beams known as "head knockers," dated structural beams that have limited the height of passageways in Penn Station's Long Island Rail Road Concourse to under 7 feet. The removal of these beams will help project crews reach their goal of increasing the ceiling height to 18 feet across the entire concourse, doubling the width of the 33rd Street corridor to 57 feet, and improving lighting.
See more here
NYC commission withholds support for Hochul’s plan to rebuild Penn Station

Rendering courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

February 2, 2022

NYC commission withholds support for Hochul’s plan to rebuild Penn Station

By
Gov. Kathy Hochul's massive redevelopment plan of Penn Station hit a roadblock last week. The City Planning Commission said it will withhold support for Hochul's new transit hub due to uncertainties over funding and a lack of improvement to transit and the public realm. Before the city recommends its full support, the project's planners must resolve these issues, as the commission wrote in a letter to the Empire State Development Corporation.
Details here
Hochul wants to rename Penn Station as part of revised renovation plan

All renderings courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office

November 4, 2021

Hochul wants to rename Penn Station as part of revised renovation plan

By
Would Penn Station still be as much fun to mock if it wasn't named after the commonwealth of Pennslyvania? Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday unveiled a revised redevelopment plan of the cramped transit hub, a pet project of her predecessor. In addition to redesigning and upgrading the existing facility and adding public space to the surrounding area, Hochul is also calling for the notorious train hall to be renamed.
Find out more
See what a renovated Penn Station could look like

View from 33rd Street, a shared space for pedestrians

April 22, 2021

See what a renovated Penn Station could look like

By
A dark and cramped Penn Station could soon be replaced with a light-filled transit hub with more space for commuters. Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled on Wednesday two possible options for the reconstruction of the Midtown train station as part of his broader Empire Station Complex project, which would unify an upgraded Penn Station and the new Moynihan Train Hall. The interconnected station would increase train capacity at the site, which is considered the busiest in the country. It could serve 830,000 daily passengers by 2038, up from 600,000 the station served each day before the pandemic.
More here
Massive Empire Station Complex project that will revamp Penn Station area moves forward

Rendering of new entrance on 8th Avenue to Penn Station via Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

February 19, 2021

Massive Empire Station Complex project that will revamp Penn Station area moves forward

By
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plan to build an interconnected public transportation hub and revitalize Penn Station took a major step forward this week. The Empire State Development's Board of Directors on Thursday adopted the General Project Plan (GPP) and certified the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed Empire Station Complex project, which would link an upgraded Penn Station, the newly opened Moynihan Train Hall, and a tentative new terminal one block south of Penn Station. The board also set a public hearing on the project for March 23, followed by a 30-day public comment period.
More details here
Cuomo reveals $51B plan to redevelop Midtown West, replace Port Authority

All renderings courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

January 15, 2021

Cuomo reveals $51B plan to redevelop Midtown West, replace Port Authority

By
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday unveiled an ambitious plan to transform over 100 acres of Midtown West as part of a new "transit-oriented" development. The $51 billion proposal adds a new train hall south of Penn Station, replaces the Port Authority Bus Terminal, extends the High Line, and adds up to 1,400 units of new affordable housing. The project is one part of the governor's proposed $306 billion infrastructure plan, introduced on Thursday during his fourth 2021 State of the State address.
Find out more
See Cuomo’s proposal to extend the High Line to the new Moynihan Train Hall

Courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

January 11, 2021

See Cuomo’s proposal to extend the High Line to the new Moynihan Train Hall

By
The High Line will be extended from its current 10th Avenue terminus to the entrance of the newly opened Moynihan Train Hall, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to announce during his 2021 State of the State address on Monday. As the New York Times first reported, a new L-shaped elevated walkway will link the existing public park at 30th Street to a pedestrian plaza at Manhattan West, a six-building mixed-use development from Brookfield Property Group that stretches from 9th and 10th Avenues and 31st to 33rd Streets.
Find out more
See inside the new light-filled Moynihan Train Hall

Photo © Max Touhey

December 30, 2020

See inside the new light-filled Moynihan Train Hall

By
As one of the few bright spots during a very dark time in New York, the new Moynihan Train Hall opens to the public on Friday. The new transit hub expands Penn Station into the landmarked James A. Farley Post Office Building on Eighth Avenue, increasing capacity at the busiest railroad station in the country by 50 percent. On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo celebrated the opening of Moynihan Train Hall, which was inspired by the design of the original Penn Station that was demolished in the 1960s. Ahead, get a look inside the new train hall, including the 92-foot-high massive skylights that total one acre and the new waiting areas for the Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak.
Get the details
NYC’s new Moynihan Train Hall will open January 1

Credit: SOM/ Office of Governor Cuomo on Flickr

December 28, 2020

NYC’s new Moynihan Train Hall will open January 1

By
The long-awaited new Moynihan Train Hall will be completed on December 31 with trains operating the next day, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Sunday. The $1.6 billion project expands the existing Penn Station into the historic James A. Farley Post Office Building on Eighth Avenue and is part of a new mixed-use transit hub with office space and retail at the site. Named for the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the new train hall is expected to increase the cramped concourse space at Penn Station by 50 percent.
Find out more
Cuomo to fast-track NYC infrastructure projects, including overhauls of Penn Station & LaGuardia

Rendering of a new entrance on 8th Avenue to Penn Station, part of the Empire Station Complex via Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

May 26, 2020

Cuomo to fast-track NYC infrastructure projects, including overhauls of Penn Station & LaGuardia

By
The state will focus on restarting New York City's economy by accelerating work on major infrastructure projects, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday. "There is no better time to build than right now," Cuomo said during a press briefing. "You need to create jobs and you need to renew and repair this country's economy and its infrastructure." The governor said the state will fast-track infrastructure projects like the renovation and rebuild of Penn Station and LaGuardia Airport.
More here
Cuomo revives plan to overhaul Penn Station and create new Empire Station Complex

Rendering of new entrance on 8th Avenue to Penn Station via Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

January 6, 2020

Cuomo revives plan to overhaul Penn Station and create new Empire Station Complex

By
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is returning to one of his favorite infrastructure proposals: the overhaul of Penn Station. During an event on Monday hosted by the Association for a Better New York, the governor announced plans to build the Empire Station Complex, a station that would link a modernized Penn Station, the soon-to-be-open Moynihan Train Hall, and a new terminal one block south of the existing site. The plan, first introduced by the governor in 2016, would add eight new tracks and increase train capacity by 40 percent at the station, which currently serves more than 650,000 passengers each day.
See the updated plan
More businesses to shutter in LIRR concourse amid Penn Station renovations

Image by Leif Knutsen on Wikimedia Commons

November 12, 2019

More businesses to shutter in LIRR concourse amid Penn Station renovations

By
Beginning next April, at least 17 additional businesses in Penn Station's LIRR concourse will shutter to make way for the station's $600 million revamp. As the New York Post reports, the closings will impact the north-side of the concourse, which is operated by real estate developer Vornado. Commuter-favorites like Shake Shack, Pret a Manger, and two Starbucks locations are among the merchants who will close shop, leaving commuters with significantly fewer fast-food options. Papyrus, Godiva, and Le Bon Cafe are also on the list.
More info
Facebook sets its sights on Midtown’s former Farley Post Office for new office space

Rendering courtesy of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill via Gov. Cuomo’s office

September 25, 2019

Facebook sets its sights on Midtown’s former Farley Post Office for new office space

By
Facebook has been on the hunt for office space in NYC for several months and now the tech giant has set its sights on the former James A. Farley Post Office, as the New York Post first reported. Sources say the company plans to lease all 740,000 square feet of office space currently being built in the old post office across from Penn Station and Madison Square Garden. The landmarked building—redubbed Moynihan Train Hall—is being redeveloped by a team including Related, Vornado Realty Trust, Skanska USA and architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. It's on track to open next year.
Here's what we know so far
Penn Station’s popular Tracks bar has shuttered

Photo © 6sqft

September 4, 2019

Penn Station’s popular Tracks bar has shuttered

By
Penn Station's longtime oyster bar has officially closed its doors. After nearly two decades, Tracks Raw Bar & Grill will relocate from its spot underneath the Midtown West transit hub to a new location nearby at 220 West 31st Street, as first reported by Untapped Cities. As 6sqft learned in June, the bar, along with nine other businesses, was forced to vacate to make way for a new Penn Station entrance, part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's $600 million overhaul of the station.
More details here
10 businesses including Tracks Bar will be shuttered in $600M Penn Station revamp

Photo of Tracks Bar by 6sqft

June 14, 2019

10 businesses including Tracks Bar will be shuttered in $600M Penn Station revamp

By
Recently-revealed renderings show the final design for the new main entrance to Penn Station. It's no surprise that, as the Wall Street Journal reports, the overhaul will mean the eviction of 10 businesses including popular commuter watering hole Tracks Bar. Real estate developer Vornado will be making the decision about which, if any, of the businesses–other than Tracks, mostly chain restaurants–can return when renovations are done.
Find out more
Cuomo reveals new Penn Station entrance, work set to begin next month
May 17, 2019

Cuomo reveals new Penn Station entrance, work set to begin next month

By
On Thursday Governor Andrew M. Cuomo unveiled the final design for the new main entrance to Penn Station. The new 33rd Street and 7th Avenue entrance will provide much-needed direct access to the Long Island Rail Road main concourse and the subway, eliminate congestion by doubling capacity for riders entering and leaving the LIRR level and enhance safety and security. Construction begins next month and will wrap up in December of 2020. The new design is the first we've seen of the $600 million Penn Station revamp since last September when Gov. Cuomo revealed a new LIRR entrance and public plaza.
More of the new designs this way
Pitch a story icon

Pitch a Story

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Interested in seeing the property in person?

It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo

"*" indicates required fields

or Call (212) 755-5544

Interested in seeing the property in person?

It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo

Distinctive Post Form

"*" indicates required fields

or Call (212) 755-5544
Contact us image

Get in Touch

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Send us a tip image
Delivering New York stories focused on design, lifestyle & real estate.

Send us a Tip

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Interesting in learning more about purchasing a new home?

Let us know what you are looking for and we’ll help you find the home of your dreams. It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo
or Call (212) 755-5544

Thinking about selling your home?

We’ll provide current market comps and connect you with a trusted expert.

CityRealty Logo

Referral Subscribe Form

or Call (212) 755-5544

Before You Move On
from this Page.

Subscribe for NYC's Lastest Design, Lifestyle,
and Real Estate Trends!

Oops! We could not locate your form.

No Worries. We Don’t Spam.

By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Your Passport to NYC:
Subscribe for Local Insights and Stories!

Oops! We could not locate your form.

No Worries. We Don’t Spam.

By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can unsubscribe at any time.