NEW YORK | Empire Station District | 9 Towers (18-20 msf)| FT | FLOORS

[NYguy]

The headlines are still off, but they'll come around...


https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2021/11/04/h...alk-through-but-wont-add-train-capacity/

size=4]ANALYSIS: Hochul’s New Penn Station Will Be Pleasant To Walk Through, But Won’t Add Train Capacity[/size]

By Dave Colon
Nov 4, 2021

Gov. Hochul’s announcement on Wednesday that New York was building a “Penn Station worthy of New Yorkers” had the pomp and circumstance of a can’t-miss infrastructural announcement, but beyond a billion-dollar facelift, advocates say riders will have to keep waiting for more train service.

When the recently revealed plan is finished, Penn will have a single floor above its boarding platforms instead of the two floor layout that limits ceiling height on its main concourse. But while the cosmetic improvements will make Penn a more pleasant place, advocates say that it’s still not a game changer for transit service into and out of Midtown Manhattan.

“If you are a transit rider in the region, you’re not going to be much better off than you were,” said Tri-State Transportation Campaign Director of Regional Infrastructure Projects Felicia Park-Rogers. “You’ll have a more pleasant space to walk in and out of, but there’s nothing being done in that scenario that improves the actual transit.”

Hochul’s plan is one that’s less Robert Moses and more Bjarke Ingels, focusing on the (relatively) smaller task of turning Penn Station from an underground pit to a slightly less pit-like train hall. The refurbishment, which was developed by the MTA, will seek to open up Penn Station by giving it a single level above the train platforms, instead of the current two levels above the platforms. Getting in to the station will also be made more convenient through the addition of 18 more escalators and 11 more elevators.

Hopefully, at the end of the day, they got to hear what the governor was actually saying.




https://www.crainsnewyork.com/transporta...unveils-plan-fix-and-rename-penn-station

Hochul unveils plan to fix—and rename—Penn Station


November 4, 2021

Governor Kathy Hochul offered her vision for redeveloping Pennsylvania Station and the surrounding neighborhood, scaling back plans championed by her predecessor Andrew Cuomo.

The new proposal focuses on modernizing the existing rail hub instead of building a new terminal, Hochul announced Wednesday. The reimagined Penn Station—serving Long Island Rail Road and NJ Transit commuters—will be on a single-level, doubling circulation space on the main hall and adding more accessibility, natural light and escalators.

The station will also get a new name: “something to do with how iconic New York State is,” Hochul said.

“This is a window of opportunity,” said Janno Lieber, acting chairman and chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. “NJ Transit is saying that their ridership is going to double. So we’ve got to get this done, we can’t let the moment slip by.

New towers would bring more workers to an area that’s on the southern fringe of Midtown and east of the massive Hudson Yards development. Vornado Realty Trust, a major New York office landlord, owns much of the land that is being targeted for development.

“Vornado fully supports the efforts of Governor Hochul and the transportation agencies to improve the user experience of Penn Station for commuters, revitalize the area with transit- oriented development, and provide significant public realm and subway improvements for the community,” a spokesperson for the company said in a statement.