Monday, May 14, 2012

Cosmetic surgery for Moynihan Station


From the NY Post:

Officials yesterday approved a $147 million contract to begin work on Moynihan Station — the start of an expected $1 billion face lift that includes cosmetic upgrades but no new tracks at teeming Penn Station.

Construction is expected to begin on Phase 1 by summer, with an estimated completion date of 2016.

That $270 million phase — funded mostly by the feds — will add two street-level entrances and station improvements to make navigating Penn Station easier.
What it won’t do is add new track space to the delay-plagued Penn, the busiest transit hub in North America.

Even the more ambitious and as-yet unfunded Phase 2 — which will bring retail, restaurants and a new Amtrak waiting area into what is now the James A. Farley post office — won’t add new tracks.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

All this to free up Madison Square garden real estate?

Anonymous said...

looks like one of Speer's monstrosities.

Anonymous said...

Can't add tracks without adding tunnels, and those cost billions-- not millions-- and no one is paying for that anytime soon.

Anonymous said...

"looks like one of Speer's monstrosities."

Give that man a ceegar.

Sadly few of the younger generation will have a clue about your reference.

Joe said...

What dumb asses.
The tracks are setup to leave the west side yards below 33 and 34 streets.
This cant be nothing more then a terminal and passenger tube that leads to the tracks and platforms as they sit now. No way can those tracks be moved. It would be the the worst service disaster in NYC history for commuters.
Sounds like a shill to force people to traffic through more retail and restaurateur space.
(bigger rents $$ )Thats what the old post office WILL become.

Moynihan Station....Man what shitty name for a railroad terminal, the friggan worst!!! It makes me think of cops and sheep for some reason.

Joe

Anonymous said...

Daniel Moynihan was a patriot.

see wikipedia

note: the statement about the "VENONA FILES",that confirmed communist spys in our government in the 1940's to 50's

Mickey Finn said...

Maybe if I had a twinkle in me eye and drank enough, they might name a station after me.

Anonymous said...

Grand Central Terminal
was designed as an efficient people mover, and it still is.

It's easy to negotiate,
and foot traffic flows smoothly.

The late, great,
Pennsylvania Station was also built with efficiency in mind.

There's little that can be seen here...in this grandiose redux of the Farley Post Office...that promotes effective people moving.

You've still got a bunch of underground tracks...spitting up loads of passengers per minute...but now it will be into a big tomb-like space.

Indeed, this move certainly frees up that valuable real estate currently occupied by Penn-Madison Square Garden.

This whole thing has been spawned by New York City's guilt for having destroyed the original world class Penn Station.

The Flushing Phantom said...

I wonder what building
will bear Gary Ackerman's name
when his time arrives?

H-m-m-m,
maybe a nice Ackerman
memorial out-house
located somewhere in Flushing?