NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, in partnership with NJ Transit and Amtrak, has approved a contract for the redesign of New York’s Penn Station.
A joint venture of FXCollaborative Architects LLOP and WSP USA Inc, with British architect John McAslan + Partners as collaborating architect, will advance a plan for a single-level facility centered around a grand hall with a 450-foot-long skylit atrium between Madison Square Garden and 2 Penn Plaza, according to a press release from the office of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The contract calls for a design that will relieve overcrowding and improve passenger flow, improve platform and station egress and accessibility, alleviate the current cramped conditions with widened concourses and high ceilings, optimize retail and other revenue generation, and integrate the station with the adjacent Moynihan Train Hall and the planned Penn Station expansion.
The base contract of up to $57.9 million will last for one year and will develop the preliminary station design, with options covering preliminary design for improvements to nearby subway stations, as well as design and engineering support as the station project advances. The news site amNY.com reports those options add costs ranging from $3.7 million to $152.7 million and could extend its duration to more than eight years.
“The transformation of Penn cannot come soon enough,” Hochul said in announcing the contract, “and we look forward to building a world-class station that puts New Yorkers first, delivers a rider-focused transit experience, and a great neighborhood they deserve.”
MTA CEO Janno Lieber said the work will take place on “an aggressive timetable,” with a goal of getting the most disruptive work at the station complete “before a new influx of customers arrives on Metro-North Railroad by 2027” as part of the Penn Station Access project [see “MTA awards contract for Penn Station Access,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 16, 2021].
The city and state agreed how to fund the station project earlier this year, although critics questioned the lack of detail in their agreement [see “New York City, state agree on funding plan …,” News Wire, July 19, 2022].
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