Penn Station Reconstruction

In November 2021, Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled a new plan to transform Penn Station into a first-class, commuter-first transit hub and revitalize the surrounding area.

The plan calls for replacing the current cramped Penn Station with a 250,000-square-foot, single-level facility. It will be easier to navigate and have more room for passenger circulation. It will feature a new, light-filled train hall that would be the size of both Moynihan Train Hall and Grand Central Terminal’s main concourses if combined. The new station would have better retail options and passenger amenities, as well as unified ticketing, waiting, and passenger information systems. The plan also calls for adding more elevators and escalators that lead to train platforms, as well as increasing the number of station entrances and exits. It would also create an underground connection to the 34 St-Herald Sq subway station.

Other public realm improvements include building a new, 30,000-square-foot public plaza outside of the train station, adding more protected bike lanes and bike parking, and widening of sidewalks in the area. The plan also calls for adding more than 1,000 units of mixed-income housing to the transit-dense neighborhood.

The MTA will collaborate with Empire State Development, Amtrak, NJ Transit, and working groups, comprising community boards, civic organizations, neighborhood BIDs, and other stakeholders. The new Penn Station reconstruction plan is a revision of the proposed Empire Station Complex, which former Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled in April 2021.