Moynihan Station Stasis

Both the Observer and the NY Sun look at the slow development process for the Moynihan Station, a project long discussed but stuck in development hell. We think the Observer's sub-headline says it all: "Silver Stops Projects, And There’s Not Much Putzy Governor Can Do; Gargano in Full Gear; Snarled by Property Shuffle With Vornado and Related." To translate: Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver is delaying the project, and since Governor Pataki is a lame duck, he's pretty much toothless in this fight. Enter Charles Gargano, head of the Empire State Development Corporation, who has been trying to get organizations to lobby Silver to stop his delays.

There's also the thought that Silver is looking to work his way into probable future governor Eliot Spitzer's good graces by delaying the project. At the end of August, developers Vornado and Related isued a letter saying the project can work, even though they are doing some crazy swap to move Madison Square Garden over the new station, which has raised questions about the project overall.

The Sun tackles the problem of $130 million in federal funds that has been allocated to the building of Moynihan Station. Pataki has been trying to spur approval for the project by saying that the funds might disappear if there are further delays. When discussing the possibility of the $130 million being returned to Congress, Municipal Art Society president Ken Barwick tells the Sun, "It has been eight and half years and we are really worried. New York is a graveyard of big ambitions that never got off the ground."

Net net, things are getting complicated, different politicians have different motives, developers want to lump MSG with the station again, various groups are both for and against the project moving forward ("We need a new station now!" "Wait, should we see complete plans of MSG and a station together?"). Since Sheldon Silver is looking out for number 1 (himself, which means wanting funds for his Lower Manahttan district first, before allocating them to the Moynihan Station project) and was a killjoy for the West Side Stadium, we'd say you better get used to dingy Penn Station.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on September 13, 2006 2:26 PM

Comments [rss]

anonymous

I don't get why this is news. This is New York. Everyone knows you don't build things in New York.

snow

Moynihan station is a waste of money. The development will move Penn Station so that instead of 2 subway lines on the same block and 2 more within 1 block, there will be only 1 subway line on the same block, and 1 additional line within 1 block. The project will essentially halve the access to other transportation.

Also, NJ Transit just spent over $100 million to improve their Penn Station area (and they are staying there anyway). LIRR will be moving to Grand Central, so overcrowding will be less of an issue.

So in all, you have this billion dollar project servicing fewer customers and decreasing their access to the city. But it will look nice! bah

Stevennnn

Jersey and Long Islanders have to use the dump Penn, while I get to use the beautiful Grand Central

we need a planner

If they are going to move the Garden anyway, why not build a new Penn Station where the current Garden is? If they feel the land is too valuable they can still top off the new station with whatever skyscraper will make it economically feasible. Just make the ceiling a little higher than the current 8 feet. Train stations and sports arenas don't mix.

And I fail to see how the Second Avenue subway is necessary for the city's development. It only serves to shuttle people around Manhattan, not bring them in from the other boroughs. Sure, it may alleviate some crowding on the other subways and on the buses but that doesn't seem to have hurt development much.

pedestrian

NY to NJ commuters: drop dead.

Kevin Walsh

It's a horrible situation, but it was always too frivolous an idea to get done anyway. A new Penn is window dressing, like that $2B Calatrava PATH station downtown. The one that's there now is perfectly fine.

Unless another strongman like Moses arises, like him or not, you won't see either Ground Zero, the 2nd Avenue subway, the #7 extension, the new Penn or anything big developed. And politically it's difficult to imagine a new Moses coming along anyway.

There are simply too many vested interests and powerful people who have an interest in not letting these things happen.

Normally I oppose overdevelopment, as in Ratnerville and what's going on all over town with perfectly good buildings being destroyed in favor of junk.

But things like the comeback of Ground Zero, the 2nd Avenue Subway and the LIRR link to Grand Central Terminal are necessary for the city's future development. Perhaps you don't NEED a prettified Penn in the old Farley Building, but it would be nice to have. However, Shelley and Elliott are not about to sign off on it.

www.forgotten-ny.com

love mass transit

Sigh. This is so discouraging--the plans looked so good, and Penn Station is such a depressing (and hard to navigate) place. Why do cities find it so hard to create aesthetically pleasing public places? It really doesn't cost more.