Calling the nation’s busiest train station “dark” and “ugly,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo on January 6, 2016 announced a restart of the long sought-after overhaul of Penn Station, a project that could cost up to $3 billion and include improvements like bringing natural light into the congested maze underneath Madison Square Garden.
He said a request for proposals from developers for the Pennsylvania Station project would go out this week, with responses due in 90 days and work to get started on an expedited basis.
Penn Station, in Manhattan, handles more than 650,000 passengers daily on Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit lines. Plans to overhaul it, including efforts to connect it via underground passages to a massive redeveloped main post office across the street to improve passenger access, have been have been called for and talked about for years.
A Related spokeswoman applauded the governor’s focus on the revitalization of Penn Station and Moynihan Station .
“The redevelopment will transform the nation’s busiest train station into a modern commuter hub and a gateway befitting the greatest city in the world,” spokeswoman Joanna Rose said. “We continue to passionately believe in the project and look forward to reviewing the materials.”
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