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That long-planned Penn Station makeover just got interesting: on Wednesday, June 28, ASTM North America announced a design proposal for the midtown railroad hub, the busiest transportation facility in the Western Hemisphere. The private development firm estimates that its plan would cost $6 billion—a cheeky billion bucks less than the other contending renovation plan backed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
The ASTM plan involves an overhaul of the station, including buying and demolishing the Hulu Theater from Madison Square Garden to make room for two new train halls, reports The New York Times, as well as wrapping the iconic concert arena in stone facade to incorporate into the overall design. The grand entrance on Eighth Avenue will feature 55-foot ceilings and a 105-foot atrium, and the overall renovation would help to reduce congestion and provide easier rider access to the station's 21 train tracks. If chosen, the firm's plan could reportedly be complete within six years.
"The plan for A New Penn Station embraces and grows upon Gov. Kathy Hochul’s clear vision for a historic revitalization of the world’s busiest transit hub. A grand new train hall accessible from Eighth Avenue not only increases accessibility from the street to platform, but it allows for a space full of light and air," reads ASTM's "A New Penn Station" site.
“The plan for A New Penn Station creates and activates public space along the entire block, and incorporates thoughtful designs that take into consideration the needs of the sites’ various stakeholders. By working together as a public-private partnership, we can deliver results at an accelerated timeline with significantly reduced cost and risk to New York State and taxpayers.”
The new plan has allegedly ruffled feathers over at the MTA, whose CEO Janno Lieber has previously criticized the designs for being "too generous" to MSG, saying at a board meeting on Tuesday, June 27: “You don’t need to have the ASTM plan, also known as the Madison Square Garden Plan, executed to bail out Madison Square Garden and give them a billion dollars. This is a plan by one private sector company that apparently is seeking a sole-source contract—a noncompetitive contract award—from the MTA.” (For the record, the MTA plan reportedly includes many similar upgrades to the station, save for that Eighth Avenue grand entrance.)
So which plan will ultimately be chosen? On Monday, June 26, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the "start of the design process" had begun for the Penn Station makeover, but she is open to all ideas for the station. “Governor Hochul is moving full-speed ahead with plans to improve Penn Station and put commuters first,” a spokesperson for the governor said in a statement. “Once the preliminary design phase of this project is complete, the RFP process for the construction phase will begin and we will review all submissions."
Check out interior and exterior renderings from ASTM North America below:
