NEW YORK | Penn Station / MSG Renovation

[scalziand]

How about being integrated into the Javits expansion if that ever happens. A combined facility should be very attractive.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by mrnyc

they really have to pin down an alternate site and make it attractive before going on about booting out msg. the city needs its big, flexible arena too.

The best thing going for MSG was to relocate into the backside of the Farley Building. They didn't like the idea that they couldn't put signage on the 8th Avenue side, which would have been
a terrible idea. They also don't want to move away from the convenient feed of numerous subway and commuter lines. The Farley would have been the closest and best choice.

[NYguy]

Worth another look..


• Video Link

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by scalziand

How about being integrated into the Javits expansion if that ever happens. A combined facility should be very attractive.

Or Hudson Yards?

[NYguy]

https://therealdeal.com/2017/05/23/c...on-task-force/

Cuomo taps Roth, LeFrak for Penn Station task force
Governor recommends booting Amtrak and having the state take over




By Kathryn Brenzel
May 23, 2017

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday tapped Richard LeFrak, Steve Roth and others to serve on a task force dedicated to addressing myriad issues at Penn Station — including its management.

A key step to resolving issues at the busy station, according to the governor, is booting Amtrak. During an event at the City University of New York, Cuomo proposed shifting control of Penn Station to either the state, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey or a private “qualified operator.” In the first scenario, the state would use design-build authorization and work with the private sector to make repairs and operate the station. Whoever takes control of the station will also oversee the redevelopment of the James A. Farley Post Office and the Gateway tunnel project.

“The best way to do this, if you weren’t dealing with all these levels of bureaucracies, is to do it as one, unified project, one project manager and have the entire project work together,” Cuomo said.

Representatives for Amtrak didn’t immediately return calls seeking comment.

Roth and LeFrak, who are also on President Trump’s infrastructure council, have a lot at stake when it comes to Penn Station. Roth’s Vornado Realty Trust owns 9 million square feet of office and retail in the area and is also part of the team the governor tapped to transform the James A. Farley Post Office into a new train hall and shopping center. Meanwhile, LeFrak has spent decades developing parts of Jersey City across the Hudson River. At a panel last month, LeFrak noted that some members of the council have the president’s ear “from time to time.”

[Zerton]

Does the city have any land of remotely equal value that they could offer up in a trade? That might sound naive.

[yankeesfan1000]

^ The MTA and Amtrak co-own, with I think the MTA owning the majority, Sunnyside Yards which is a 192 acre rail yard not far from Manhattan in Queens which has been floated as a sort of Hudson Yards on steroids. Amtrak has been fairly vocal about shedding some of its real estate holdings, like Sunnyside, to raise funds. It'd be interesting to see if an X% increase in ownership of Sunnyside could entice Amtrak to give up Penn.

I think the most important take away from that, is that the Port Authority shouldn't be allowed anywhere near Penn Station. They would undoubtedly figure out a way to make it worse.

[chris08876]

MTA finally details its plan to deal with Penn Station repairs

With six weeks of infrastructure repairs at Penn Station beginning in July, the “summer of hell” for commuters is quickly approaching. In response, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has finally announced its plan to deal with Amtrak’s plan to close some of the station’s 21 tracks for renovations. As Crain’s reported, the MTA will shift three nighttime trains to rush hour and add about 36 cars, while also offering transit alternatives like ferry and bus services. The shutdown will force the MTA to cancel or divert 15-weekday trains between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., affecting nearly 9,600 LIRR morning commuters, set to begin July 10.

Track shutdowns will reduce rush-hour service by about 20 percent for the 88,000 daily LIRR users. The number of weekday trains departing Penn during the evening rush hour will decrease from 87 to just 70 trains. The three overnight trains which run from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. were canceled to create storage space for the added rush hour cars, but the MTA says this will only affect 90 riders. For riders with monthly commuter passes only, ferries from Glen Cove and Hunters Point will be available. Plus, 200 coach buses will be added to pick up riders from eight different locations along the Long Island Expressway on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. While these alternatives won’t cost LIRR riders extra, the MTA will not reduce fares for travelers affected by the shutdown.

The MTA has also launched a public awareness campaign to keep riders informed about transit changes this summer. The agency plans on updating their website with information as well as handing out printouts with any changes. Because cancellations and delays during the evening LIRR rush are at the highest level in 10 years, the transit advocacy group, Reclaim New York, says it’s unimpressed with the MTA’s proposed solutions.

In a statement, Reclaim New York’s Executive Director, Brandon Muir, said: “Long Island commuters are stuck in hell on rails this summer, and the MTA’s brilliant idea is to spend more money telling them how hot it is. This plan amounts to a PR blitz to get commuters to avoid the railroad because it’s a mess the MTA has no plan to fix anytime soon—as if riders didn’t already know that.”

If you’re one of the many unlucky ones affected by Penn Station repairs, the MTA may ask your employer to let you stay home or work different hours, according to the Daily News. Their awareness campaign includes sending letters to employers asking them to be more flexible with their employee’s work schedule during the Amtrak’s track shutdown. If commuters change their hours of travel between July 10 and at least Sept. 1, congestion will decrease, according to the agency.

=========================
https://www.6sqft.com/mta-finally-de...ation-repairs/

[yankeesfan1000]

In related news, Commuters Sue Over Poor Service On Long Island Rail Road. Can't blame em.

[mrnyc]

Originally Posted by yankeesfan1000

^ The MTA and Amtrak co-own, with I think the MTA owning the majority, Sunnyside Yards which is a 192 acre rail yard not far from Manhattan in Queens which has been floated as a sort of Hudson Yards on steroids. Amtrak has been fairly vocal about shedding some of its real estate holdings, like Sunnyside, to raise funds. It'd be interesting to see if an X% increase in ownership of Sunnyside could entice Amtrak to give up Penn.

I think the most important take away from that, is that the Port Authority shouldn't be allowed anywhere near Penn Station. They would undoubtedly figure out a way to make it worse.

unfortunately, mta only owns 30 of the approx 180 acres of sunnyside yards. a sliver along the nw side. the city owns the air rights over that. amtrak owns 140 acres and gm owns a small parcel of the rest.

https://www.nycedc.com/sites/default...ve-Summary.pdf

[NYguy]

I've been waiting since last fall for the west concourse to open...


https://www.instagram.com/p/BVUgw5OD...y=ryanharris73

[NYguy]

https://ny.curbed.com/2017/6/15/1580...se-post-office

Penn Station's West End Concourse finally opens to the public
It marks the first phase of the transformation of the James A. Farley Post Office building

BY TANAY WARERKAR
JUN 15, 2017

Following a few delays, Penn Station’s West End Concourse has finally opened to the public, NY1 has learned. Part of the overall revamp of the much-reviled station, the West End Concourse connects the James A. Farley Post Office Building to Penn Station, underground.

Originally scheduled to open in the fall of 2016, the project was pushed back with an estimated spring 2017 completion due to tech-focused upgrades to the station, including the new digital information screens, and the ceiling-mounted LED displays.

Penn Station tracks run below both Madison Square Garden and the post office building, and the thought was that creating an additional entrance would ease congestion in the main station area.

As NY1 points out, this is the first time that passenger access has been extended under the post office building, and this also marks the completion of the first phase of what will eventually be the complete transformation of the post office building into the Moynihan Train Hall, replete with retail and office space.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVXAs6ug...thepellareport

[NYguy]

https://www.6sqft.com/first-look-see...end-concourse/

FIRST LOOK: See inside Penn Station’s brand new West End Concourse

JUNE 15, 2017
BY DANA SCHULZ































































http://aasarchitecture.com/2016/01/m...hall-by-som-10

[NYguy]

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-sta...t-penn-station

At Troubled Penn Station, a Glimpse of a Brighter Future
A long-delayed stairway that will improve access for rail commuters at Penn Station has opened.




June 15, 2017

New York City's Penn Station, long denigrated as ugly, congested and confusing, has a flashy new addition that could provide a glimpse of its future.

Officials on Thursday opened a new, $300 million concourse across the street from the aging rail station that will give passengers easier access to 17 of the 21 train platforms used by Long Island Rail Road, New Jersey Transit and Amtrak trains.

On its first day, the hall, unlike its sister facility across the street, was gleamingly clean, brightly lit and pleasant.

Digital panels on the ceiling created the image of a blue sky and passing clouds. Large windows allowed commuters to see the trains on the platforms below.

The concourse is the first phase of a plan to convert Manhattan's massive main post office into the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Train Hall, named for the late Democratic U.S. senator from New York who first proposed the project many years ago.

"It's beautiful," Lynne Watson, of Queens, told Newsday after heading down from her customer service job at the post office to take a look. "It makes it seem bright. You come through Penn Station and it's kind of dark down there."

The new entrances to the rail platforms will help ease the chokepoints that develop in Penn Station during rush hours, as too many commuters try to jam down too few stairwells and escalators.

By 2020, much of the post office is slated to become a grand new, $1.6 billion west wing of the station, replete with a dramatic glass roof, new retail and office space.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/...icle-1.3250545

New West End Concourse opens for Penn Station to the delight of often-frustrated commuters

[mrnyc]

i took a walk thru -- so clean and nice -- from yesterday!

[chris08876]

Vornado, Related and Skanska finalize deal to build $1.6B Moynihan Train Hall

Vornado Realty Trust, Related Companies and Skanska have finalized a deal with the state to build a $1.6 billion train hall at James A. Farley Post Office, paving the way for construction to begin.

State officials announced the deal on Friday, roughly nine months after the companies were named the preferred design-build team for the project. The Empire State Development Corp., the state agency leading the development, inked a financial agreement with the team that requires $550 million from the state, $630 million from the developers and $420 million from Amtrak, the MTA and federal funds.

The financial breakdown differs slightly from what was announced in September, increasing the developers’ cut by $30 million and decreasing the state’s by $20 million. During a conference call held on Friday, officials explained the difference as a product of financing at a better rate than what was initially expected. Additional information was not immediately available.
Representatives for Related and Vornado declined to comment beyond a press release sent out by the governor’s office. Skanska didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

The new train hall will feature 700,000 square feet of office and retail space and a 255,000-square-foot train hall for both Amtrak and the Long Island Rail Road. The project is expected to be complete in 2022.

Friday’s announcement follows the opening of the train hall’s first phase, an Eighth Avenue entrance to the tracks below the post office. The news also comes as commuters brace themselves for a series of travel disruptions at Penn Station.

==================
TRD

[NYguy]

How the two meet...


brian kusler

[mrnyc]

^ whoa the distortion on those made me a bit dizzy. yipes.

to be honest the new concourse isnt much more than a brighter than typical subway walkway, albeit with charging stations. its great that its open, that it opens up the farley bldg, makes room for lirr commuters and is a nice environment, such as it is, but the real difference won't come until moynihan hall opens. that will be a seriously impressive and transformative transit environment for penn.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by mrnyc

^ whoa the distortion on those made me a bit dizzy. yipes.

to be honest the new concourse isnt much more than a brighter than typical subway walkway, albeit with charging stations. its great that its open, that it opens up the farley bldg, makes room for lirr commuters and is a nice environment, such as it is, but the real difference won't come until moynihan hall opens.

Oh trust me. It's already made a big difference for me and many other people. Coming into Penn Station everyday, and having to stand on crowded train platforms as the crowd lslowly makes it's way up available stairways and escalators while the new stairways to the west end sat behind gates was simply infuriating. It added insult to all of the other shenanigans people had to endure just trying to get to Penn Station. They could have left the walls bare sheetrock, and it would have been an amazing development.

Anyway, I'm glad the renderings are on the outside of the building. It feels that much closer to getting built.

[mrnyc]

^ oh yeah i can certainly see the usefulness of the concourse for commuters with the much needed additional access. i was just referring to the looks of it. terms like grand or inspiring wont come into the play here until farley takes a bow and moynihan hall opens.