New Penn Station plan by Gov. Hochul

Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled a new state plan to rebuild Pennsylvania Station. Earlier, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed to build ten supertall towers around the station and use revenue from that development to help fund the project. Gov. Hochul offered to reduce the overall size of the towers that make up the development.

The Penn Station restoration proposal could cost approximately $7 billion. The money will go towards building nine additional sets of tracks, five platforms, and other logistic improvements to prevent overcrowding and transit delays. 

The governor’s Penn Station plan includes the construction of office and residential units. 540 out of 1,800 residential units will be permanently affordable. The proposed development also adds eight acres of public space surrounding the station. The outdoor areas will have widened sidewalks, protected bike lanes, and bike parking.

Penn Station will also be renamed, possibly after a New Yorker. Once the plan is approved and receives funding, it will take four to five years to finish. The project could start by late 2022.  

Resources:

“With Cuomo Gone, Hochul Revises Plan for Penn Station,” by Matthew Haag and Patrick McGeehan (the New York Times, 2021)

“New Penn Station Plan Revealed: Hochul Scales Back Cuomo's Vision,” by Nick Garber (Patch, 2021)

“Build new Penn Station sooner, says Gov. Hochul — she’d scale back Cuomo plan, move construction up from 2035 to this decade,” by Clayton Guse (NY Daily News, 2021)