Pennsylvania Station Area Civic and Land Use Improvement Project
(formerly known as Empire Station Complex Civic and Land Use Improvement Project)
Project Overview
Governor Hochul has unveiled her vision for a new commuter-first world-class Penn Station and revitalized surrounding neighborhood that reflects the community's needs and focuses on public transit and public realm improvements. The plan prioritizes the reconstruction of the existing station while the station expansion and the Gateway Project initiatives, both of which the Governor strongly supports, continue on their federally-established timelines. Governor Hochul's new plan thus allows the expedited reconstruction of the existing Penn Station, 60% of whose users are subway and LIRR riders.
The new neighborhood plan comes after several months of collaboration and more than 100 meetings with community stakeholders, government agencies, and elected officials to improve on past plans and establish a new way forward. The plan announced by Governor Hochul will also be subject to further public review and is part of a larger public process that remains ongoing.
The first step in realizing this vision is the recently opened Moynihan Train Hall, which breathes new life into historic Farley Post Office, transforming it into an iconic, state-of-the-art infrastructure gateway for the Long Island Railroad and Amtrak. The Pennsylvania Station Area plan includes plans for a reimagined and expanded Penn Station, currently being planned by the MTA in conjunction with Amtrak and NJ Transit, to increase platform capacity by approximately 40 percent.
The relocation of Amtrak’s operations to Moynihan provides the opportunity to overhaul Penn Station, including opening up its confined concourses and creating bold new entrances, inviting in natural light, improving retail and other user amenities, increasing safety and security, consolidating support functions, rationalizing pedestrian flows, and making it easier for passengers to navigate within the station as well as connect to their destinations beyond. The railroads are also undertaking planning for the expansion of Penn Station to potentially accommodate additional tracks and new platforms. Both the renovation and expansion of Penn Station are essential infrastructure projects for the future of New York.
The Proposed Project is critical to making Penn Station a seamlessly integrated intercity rail hub. The Proposed Project aims to catalyze transit-oriented development that would generate much-needed revenue to fund this major renovation and expansion of Penn Station, implement other public transportation and public realm improvements within and around Penn Station, and revitalize the business district surrounding the station.
At their regularly scheduled Meeting on July 21, 2022, the ESD Directors will be requested to adopt findings for the Project under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA); affirm findings pursuant to Section 10 of the NYS Urban Development Corporation Act of 1968; (the “UDC Act”); affirm the General Project Plan (“GPP”) as modified; and authorize other actions related to the Project. Further information about the Meeting, together with all Materials associated with these requested Project-related approvals that will be presented to ESD’s Directors, at the Meeting, have been posted on ESD’s website at: esd.ny.gov/esd-media-center/board-meetings/esd-directors-meeting-072122. (See pp. 237-919 of the “Agenda and Board Materials” link.)
Please be advised that all Board Materials for the Project including the proposed resolutions are subject to final adoption, affirmation and/or approval by ESD’s Directors.
Project Information
Stay up to date with the Pennsylvania Station Area Civic & Land Use Improvement Project's progress.
Environmental Review
GPP and Related Documents
Public Realm Task Force
Community Advisory Committee Working Group
Pennsylvania Station Area Civic and Land Use Improvement Project Community Advisory Committee Working Group (as of 12/1/21)
Hon. Gale Brewer, President, Borough of Manhattan
Hon. Richard Gottfried, Assemblyman, New York State Assembly
Hon. Brad Hoylman, State Senator, New York State Senate
Hon. Robert Jackson, State Senator, New York State Senate
Hon. Corey Johnson, Speaker, New York City Council
Hon. Carolyn Maloney, Congresswoman, U.S. House of Representatives
Hon. Jerry Nadler, Congressman, U.S. House of Representatives
Louis Bailey, Manager of Membership and Organizing, We Act for Environmental Justice
Vikki Barbero, Chair, Community Board 5
Christine Berthet, Co-Chair, Transportation Committee, Community Board 4
Dan Biederman, President, 34th Street Partnership
Kyle Bragg, President, 32BJ
Julia Campanelli, President, Hell's Kitchen Block Association
Alfred C. Cerullo, III, President & CEO, Grand Central Partnership
Paul Devlin, Co-Chair Chelsea Land Use Committee, Community Board 4
Kevin Finnegan, Labor Lawyer
Basha Gerhards, Senior VP of Planning, REBNY
Elizabeth Goldstein, President, The Municipal Art Society of New York
Danny Harris, Executive Director, Transportation Alternatives
Wendy Hilliard, Former President, Women’s Sports Foundation
Brook Jackson, Vice President, Policy, Partnership for New York City
EJ Kalafarski, Chair, Transportation, Community Board 5
Lowell Kern, Chair, Community Board 4
Layla Law-Gisiko, Chair, Land Use, Housing & Zoning Committee, Community Board 5
Jeffrey LeFrancois, First Vice Chair, Community Board 4 (Manhattan)
Renae Reynolds, Executive Director, Tri-State Transportation Campaign
Santos Rodriguez, Director of Community Affairs & Strategic Initiatives, Building & Construction Trades Council of NY
Tokumbo Shobowale, EVP for Business and Operations, The New School
Eugene Sinigalliano, Resident Representative
Clayton Smith, 2nd Vice Chair, Community Board 5
Marilyn Taylor, Professor of Architecture and Urban Design, University of Pennsylvania
Jessica Walker, President & CEO, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce
Tom Wright, President & CEO, Regional Plan Association
Contact Information
To contact the Pennsylvania Station Civic and Land Use Project team, call (212) 803-2477 or email [email protected].