October 24, 2007
Map of the Day: Moynihan Station Redevelopment Plan
Yesterday, state officials released the draft scope for the Moynihan Station/New Penn Station project. The actual 93-page PDF is online for the public to peruse, and, yes, the plan is to move Madison Square Garden into the James Farley Post Office building on Eighth Avenue and possibly move to U.S. Post Office's operations to the current Penn Station (we highlighted those moves). Say it with us: UGH.
The Sun calls this plan "a test for Governor Spitzer" because his administration has "promised parsimony in negotiating with developers, bringing down the level of public subsidy by standing firm in deals with the private sector." Let the steamrolling begin!
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I hope the Dolans have to pay something to move MSG. The idea that the city and state are subsidizing them is crazy.
The present Garden is just fine -- and many performers claim it is their favorite arena to perform in. It's all about "luxury boxes" -- eg more income for the Dolan's.
Why do we need new stadiums and arenas every 25 - 30 years, but we ride in a subway system that is over 100 years old? Leave the Garden where it is and build the 10th Av station on the 7 extension!!!
There is no need for any taxpayer subsidized arenas. Not in Manhattan, not in Brooklyn, not anywhere.
If the Dolans, or any other greedy evil person, wants to build an arena, they should buy the land at market rates and go through all the proper zoning and other approvals, and pay for it all themselves.
Considering the absurd prices of watching overpaid and possibly pharmaceutically enhanced people play children's games the positive effect on the community at large is dubious. Build arenas and stadiums in the suburbs with plenty of parking and be done with it.
moving the post office is considered the "Worst Case scenario" in the (DEIS) it will never happen, Farley is the "Flagship Post Office of the United States of America" and a National Landmark, no post office, no tax credits...no deal, its that simple. NY is not giving up its Grand Post Office for the dream of a grand station.
Now, if we want all those NJ fans NOT to drive to games and concerts and the circus, we better make sure that the station is connected to the waterferry.
I guess destroying the original Penn Station wasn't enough, Moynihan's vision finally gave New Yorkers the chance for Penn Station to reclaim some of the original glory that was taken from it when MSG was plopped on top of it in the 60's & now they want to move MSG again - NY can't let this happen a second time.
TheHerman beat me to it, but it's worth repeating.
The original irreproducible Penn Station was destroyed so a disposable building could be erected on top. Now we try to get a new Penn Station and, like a vicious parasite, MSG infects us again. Aafter destroying its original victim, it now seeks a new one.
I hate the Dolans!
Those commenting here have no appreciation for professional sports. We NEED a new arena. And not just for boxes. Every other city (almost) in the NHL and NBA got one in the 90s, and we got dick. Given the choice between leaving the Garden where it is, stinking up the landscape for another million years, and tearing it down in favor of something understated but MODERN in a part of the Farley building that's unlovely anyway, I'd take a Farley arena. Lord knows the art preservation whiners and Gothamist posting crowd will make sure they don't build anything as bad as the C battery we have now.
Yes, the Dolans are idiots, but this is our first, last, and only chance for this new station and it will include the new Garden. So deal.
I love these sports obsessed people that bitch and moan about how every other city had the rich sports owners screw money out of their local government to build a stadium/arena.
Do we really need to spend public money on arenas when police officers, fire fighters and teachers are grossly underpaid?
Do we really need to spend public money on arenas when we have 100 year old subway infrastructure that wasn't maintained properly?
Just think how many parks, police cars, fire apparatus, ambulances, schools, bridges, subway signals, and subway stations could be funded with that kind of money. It makes sense to spend money on things that will benefit the city, state, region, and country instead of throwing money at a bunch of people who don't want to spend millions of their own dollars on a bloody arena. What would benefit the city more - an arena or more parks and better schools?
Build the arena in NJ, and give us a station at the water to get to it. Much better deal for the city.
They tried to get an area built across the river in Hoboken back when the Devils first started their new stadium hunt, and it didn't fly back then. lower manhattan, what makes you think they'd let it be built now?
Anyway, while I do wish they'd leave well enough alone and just have MSG stay put, the prospect of getting a truly majestic station that encompasses the block and a half it really needs is tempting. As someone who used to do the daily commute through the bowels of that station, I know I sure would have rather had the grand views of a Grand Central Terminal around me instead of that municipal nightmare.
This is a rare chance to fix one of our city's greater mistakes.