Work to begin this spring on Penn Station-Moynihan Train Hall complex

This spring, the 650,000 commuters who travel through Penn Station daily may finally start to witness Governor Cuomo’s $1.6 billion plan to revamp what he called the “overcrowded, decrepit and claustrophobic” station into a more spacious and high-tech transit hub. As the Daily News reports, the first phase of the overall Moynihan Station Development Project will begin soon, extending Penn Station’s West End Concourse to reduce congestion. The second phase will transform the James A. Farley Post Office into the new Moynihan Train Hall, which will hold more than 112,000 square feet of retail and 588,000 square feet of office space, in addition to new ticketing and waiting areas for Amtrak and Long Island Railroad passengers.

The first phase of the Moynihan Station project, named after the late Senator, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, should have been completed last year, but the project’s opening day was delayed due to redesigns in the original plan to include digital media screens to help commuters navigate the station. The expansion of the West Concourse will cover eight more tracks at Penn Station, allowing commuters to reach the street quicker.

The second phase, which was approved this week, will show a 50 percent increase in floor space, commercial development, and a historic restoration. Plus, the hall will feature state-of-the-art security measures, free Wifi, and charging stations.

In September, Cuomo chose Related Companies, Vornado Realty and Skanska AB to lead the project’s development. Renderings by the design firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP show a new light-filled atrium and skylights. The MTA will redesign the LIRR concourse at 33rd Street as well as a complete renovation of both of Penn Station’s subway stations, the A-C-E at Eighth Avenue and the 1-2-3 at Seventh Avenue.

The governor’s Train Hall plan is expected to cost $1.6 billion, with $600 million coming from the developer of the hall’s retail space, about $570 million from the Empire State Development Corporation, and $425 million from Amtrak, LIRR, the Port Authority and the federal government. The hall’s scheduled completion date is in 2020.

[Via NY Daily News]

RELATED: 

• REVEALED: Governor Cuomo unveils plans for new Penn Station-Moynihan Train Hall complex
• Renderings revealed for Governor Cuomo’s $3B Penn Station overhaul
• Developer Vornado plans to spend hundreds of millions on revitalizing Penn Station area

Renderings via the office of Governor Cuomo; Phase diagrams via Economic Development Corporation