![]() Only the station’s three north/south concourses and two or three east/west corridors should remain to better distribute passengers, facilitate orientation, and better integrate the station with the future Penn South.īuild Penn South for running service between New Jersey and QueensĪs part of its Gateway proposal to build two new rail tunnels under the Hudson River, Amtrak has been studying extending Penn Station southward, down to 30th Street. The building’s glass curtain wall should be open at street level to provide 360-degree access to the station, and the 33rd Street plaza described above should be extended to Eighth Avenue. Combined with removing one of Penn Station’s underground concourses (on the B-level), this would eliminate over 200 columns from the platforms-freeing up significant space for pedestrian circulation, including stairs and escalators.Īmtrak should move forward with this scheme. A recent proposal instead envisioned removing the floors of the arena and its exterior curtain wall, but keeping its structural skeleton and cladding it in glass. Previous schemes have suggested replacing Madison Square Garden with a new head house with retail and office space. By removing the sports arena and theater, Penn Station’s underground complex will gain much-needed natural light and air, and significantly improve pedestrian circulation and safety. Madison Square Garden’s 10-year special permit is up for renewal in 2023. The project’s completion should proceed without delay, including a new mid-block passageway to Ninth Avenue. Moynihan Station, as the train hall will be called, will accommodate Amtrak’s main waiting room, its Acela lounge, and many of its back-office functions, freeing up valuable space at the existing Penn Station. Complete Moynihan StationĪ new train hall in the Farley Post Office is under construction and should be completed by 2020. Finally, the central concourse should also be widened and extended southward to connect to Track One (and later to Penn South), removing the B-level (Amtrak waiting room level) under Two Penn Plaza and lining up the NJT concourse with elevation at the A-level (the same level as the LIRR concourse). The Hilton Corridor under 32nd Street should also be widened and extended eastward to connect Penn Station with the subways at Broadway and Sixth Avenue. Ceilings should be elevated for better light and air. The Long Island Rail Road concourse, which runs under 33rd Street, should be widened and shifted north. Underground, there are also great opportunities to improve pedestrian conditions, even without removing Two Penn Plaza and its myriad vertical columns through the station. With new architectural elements running from 31st to 34th Street, Penn Station could also have an improved, uniform presence at the street level along three city blocks. A new great entrance to the station should also be built on the corner of Seventh Avenue and 33rd Street by turning part of 33rd street into a civic plaza. Today’s main entrance at 32nd Street is cramped and unwelcoming it should be widened and expanded. Penn Station deserves to have a great presence in Midtown Manhattan. ![]() Create inviting new entrances at Seventh Avenue
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