Every few years, a group of people come up with the totally original, and very unique idea to move Madison Square Garden, as if that will magically fix everything that is wrong with Penn Station. Here's a hint - it won't. But that doesn't matter, these people already know this isn't going anywhere. I'll give it to them though, this plan is one of the worst I've seen yet.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/11/nyregion/penn-station-madison-square-garden.html
A New Pitch to Fix Penn Station: Move Madison Square Garden
With few signs of progress on a proposed redevelopment project, one group is hoping to move the famous arena.
By Stefanos Chen and Patrick McGeehan
March 11, 2025
Quote:
Nearly two years after New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, vowed to fast-track the long-overdue redesign of Pennsylvania Station, little has changed for the Manhattan transit hub that she once called a “hellhole.”
Two serious renovation proposals — one from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the other from a private developer — have both been stalled for months, leaving some to wonder if the project was dead.
Now, an influential interest group is proposing a different approach: Move Madison Square Garden, which sits on top of the station, across the street and replace it with a much bigger train hall and a park.
|
Quote:
The latest plan is proposing to pay for the construction of a new sports arena on a site that includes the former Hotel Pennsylvania on Seventh Avenue, in exchange for the right to demolish the current Garden.
The new train hall, unencumbered by the arena, could double the station’s capacity to 48 trains per hour, provide a suite of new safety and accessibility features and address riders’ biggest complaints about the cramped station, said Alexandros Washburn, who is leading the project for Grand Penn Community Alliance.
There would also be room to create a sprawling green space, similar in size to Bryant Park, that would effectively serve as a giant backyard for a new 125-foot-tall train hall.
|
Quote:
The plan would require an as-yet unnamed developer to buy the site of the Hotel Pennsylvania, which was demolished in 2023, as well as several adjacent properties, for about $1.3 billion. The construction of a new sports arena would cost around $2.3 billion, and the new Penn Station would cost another $4 billion. Construction would begin with the new arena, so as not to disrupt programming. The entire project would take about 11 years.
But the project faces complex challenges.
Much of the proposed site for a new arena is owned by Vornado, the real estate firm that had sought to build up to 10 nearby skyscrapers, mostly dedicated to office space, as part of a plan to fund improvements in the area. The pandemic stalled that plan, and Governor Hochul announced in 2023 that the redesign of Penn Station would no longer rely on revenue from its development.
Mr. Washburn said that his group has met with Vornado about buying the proposed site and that they showed interest.
|
Quote:
Then there is the Garden, which is controlled by companies led by James Dolan, the mercurial billionaire who has resisted past calls to relocate the arena. Mr. Washburn said the move would benefit the nearly 60-year-old venue because the new site would allow for easier truck access and other modern amenities. A move, he added, could also help Mr. Dolan secure a permanent license for the arena after years of negotiating temporary extensions.
MSG Entertainment, which operates the Garden, did not respond to requests for comment.
|
Quote:
A spokeswoman for Ms. Hochul said in a statement that the governor was “laser focused on fixing Penn Station now” and that the state would solicit proposals from the private sector, but did not provide a timeline.
The M.T.A. had previously said that it would reach a critical design goal by last summer, at which point it would revise the budget and solicit proposals from bidders. But that has not yet happened.
|
Quote:
Yet another plan was unveiled last week by Assemblyman Tony Simone, a Democrat whose district includes Penn Station, and other elected officials. Their plan ruled out taking any private property and focused on constructing more residential buildings centered around a large park on the former site of the Hotel Pennsylvania.
Mr. Simone called on Ms. Hochul to reopen the planning process and “engage the community on a housing-first plan.” Mr. Simone said he had pitched his idea to Vornado, and it had not been rejected.
|
A rendering of the redesigned transit hub, which would take inspiration from the original Penn Station, with grand columns and a large train hall.Credit...
__________________
NEW YORK is Back!
“Office buildings are our factories – whether for tech, creative or traditional industries we must continue to grow our modern factories to create new jobs,” said United States Senator Chuck Schumer.
|
Prev
Linear Mode
