With more than 600,000 daily commuters passing through, Penn Station is one of the busiest transit halls in the Western Hemisphere. Finally, there's a plan in place to make necessary repairs without making the commute even more unbearable.
"The Farley building would be a home for both Amtrak and, in a break with past proposals, the Long Island Rail Road, which should bring some relief to the congestion at Penn Station, which also houses New Jersey Transit," adds Bagli.
As noted at the outset of the article, the challenge of fixing Pennsylvania station has stymied governors and mayors for 25 years. The project will require a lot of private partners. So far, Gov. Cuomo has selected developers Related Companies, Vornado Realty and Skanska AB to complete the $1.6 billion plan. "The developers will pay $600 million for the rights to the Farley project. Empire State Development, a state agency, and Amtrak, which owns Penn Station, will soon solicit bids for overhauling the station," according to Bagli.
In a separate article, Amy Plitt summarizes the Penn Station and Farley building development proposals:
Today, Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled plans for the forthcoming Pennsylvania Station-Farley Complex, along with announcing the developers and builders who will collaborate on the project. The plans call for a brand new, 255,000-square-foot train hall, which will accommodate both Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road passengers, that’s scheduled to be completed by the end of 2020. (Yes, you read that date right.)
Plitt also provides a list of big takeaways from the governor's announcement—recommended reading for the details and scope of the project.
Read the full story: Cuomo’s Vision for Revamped Penn Station: New Home for Amtrak and L.I.R.R.
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