The long quest to transform Penn Station got a major boost yesterday when the New York City Council voted to renew Madison Square Garden's lease for just 10 years. The Garden's owners had sought an unlimited extension.
"The New York City Council took the first step in a long process to remake Penn Station, Wednesday. It voted overwhelmingly to limit the lease on Madison Square Garden, which sits atop nation's busiest transit hub," reports Jessica Gould. "In a 47-1 vote, the Council decided not to grant the Madison Square Garden company a permit in perpetuity, but instead offered just a 10-year lease renewal."
"City Council Speaker Christine Quinn told reporters she hopes the shorter permit will give the Garden enough time to come up with a plan to move so that improvements can then be made to Penn Station."
"The vote is the culmination of a concerted campaign from urban planners, transportation advocates and civic groups like the Municipal Arts Society and Regional Plan Association who have been framing the shorter lease renewal more as a vote for a hypothetical—and revenue raising—new Penn Station than about a sports arena," adds Gould.
FULL STORY: City Council Limits Lease on Madison Square Garden, Makes Way for a New Penn Station
Formidable Barriers Threaten Penn Station Renovation
Last month N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed that Empire Station replace Penn Station, but many challenging parts, e.g., the Hudson River Tunnels, moving Madison Square Garden, could derail it. A related piece delves into the prior ARC tunnel project.
Groups File Suit Over Penn Station Redevelopment
A coalition of community groups claims that current plans are designed to benefit developers and don’t guarantee improvements for transit riders.
Massive Empire State Complex Gains Key Political Support
New York Governor Kathy Hochul is backing one of the largest real estate development projects in U.S. history—larger even than the nearby Hudson Yards project.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Eviction Looms for Low-Income Tenants as Rent Debt Rises
Nonprofit housing operators across the country face almost $10 billion in rent debt.
Brightline West Breaks Ground
The high-speed rail line will link Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area.
Colorado Bans No-Fault Evictions
In most cases, landlords must provide a just cause for evicting tenants.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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