New Penn Station Plan Revealed: Hochul Scales Back Cuomo's Vision

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — A new state plan to rebuild Penn Station and reimagine the surrounding neighborhood unveiled by Gov. Kathy Hochul nixes some controversial elements of the prior vision advanced by former governor Andrew Cuomo.

Hochul's new plan adds more than 1,800 residential units and reduces the height of several tall buildings to be built around the station — which are intended to raise revenues to help fund the project.

"I knew there were a lot of concerns about a plan that had already been announced," Hochul said Wednesday, acknowledging the opposition that Cuomo's so-called "Empire Station Complex" faced from Midtown leaders after it was unveiled with little local input.

The station also will bear a new name — that of a New Yorker and not Pennsylvania — once complete, Hochul said.

The $6-to-7-billion renovation will double concourse space by converting Penn into a single-level train hall and removing the existing upper level to create a sun-filled, high-ceilinged concourse. It closely resembles one of two possible renovations first floated by the MTA in April.

The 450-foot long train hall would be larger than Moynihan Train Hall and Grand Central Terminal's main halls combined, the state says.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the state had not released plans for the new project, leaving some details — like building heights — up in the air. Construction would take four to five years, Hochul said. She would not give an estimated start date, but Newsday reported it could begin by late 2022.

Pushback against Cuomo's Empire Station had centered around the plan's prioritization of commercial development ahead of transit improvements, as well as the need to demolish multiple blocks of Midtown in order to add tracks to Penn Station — entailing the destruction of St. John the Baptist Church on 30th Street, among other structures.

The New York Times initially reported that Hochul's plan would push that rail expansion further down the road, but the governor suggested otherwise Wednesday. She said rail expansion could begin soon alongside the station work.

Overall, Hochul said the project would restore some glory to the much-maligned rail hub that served 650,000 daily passengers pre-pandemic, but she dubbed "hellacious," "disgusting," "crowded" and "depressing."

Outdoor space, underground tunnels

The 1,800 residential units will include 540 that are permanently affordable, Hochul said.

The plan also includes a new focus on outdoor space: surrounding blocks would gain widened sidewalks, protected bike lanes and bike parking, and renderings show two fully pedestrianized blocks of West 33rd Street stretching west to Eighth Avenue. All told, the outdoor areas would amount to eight acres.

Other construction would improve access to the rail hub: underground concourses would run north to 34th Street and east to Herald Square, and the new buildings would each contain indoor entrances leading to Penn Station, Hochul said.

It remains to be seen how the plan will go over with local groups, though the leader of the Regional Plan Association, a former critic of Cuomo's proposal, spoke cautiously in support of Hochul's plan.

Other opponents of Empire Station had included lawmakers like State Sen. Liz Krueger, who, notably, was in the room on Wednesday as Hochul laid out her vision. Other past critics, including U.S. Reps. Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, also released statements of support for the new plan.

Previous Penn Station coverage:

• Midtown Leaders Slam Cuomo's Empire Station Complex
• Twin Proposals To Remake Penn Station Unveiled By State
• Embattled Cuomo Pushes Skyline-Altering Penn Station Real Estate Plan As Critics Mobilize