A rendering of a new Penn Station that would replace the existing Madison Square Garden that would be relocated across Eighth Avenue into the west end of the Farley Post Office appeared this week on the website of the Friends of Moynihan Station.
It was the first glimpse of what has been contemplated by the joint venture of the Related Companies and Vornado Realty Trust in their negotiations with the state and the city over the redevelopment of the post office property.
The joint venture would like to develop more than 1 million square feet of retail space in the post office property and transfer more than 4 million square feet of unused air rights to sites in and around the existing Penn Station.
The rendering was shown by Gov. Spitzer at a recent meeting of the Association for a Better New York and it indicates that a barrel-vaulted, skylit structure would replace the existing Garden. That structure would have bronze-glass sides except for the central portion of the Eighth Avenue frontage where it would have a projecting, clear-glass bay. The clear-glass roof the new structure would have a central barrel-vaulted section but would not be symmetrical as the south side at 31st Street would have what appears to be a row of greenery at the top.
The rendering also indicates that the rear of the existing, dark-colored glass, office building at 2 Penn Plaza that fronts on Seventh Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets would be reclad in a light-colored glass.
Furthermore, the rendering indicates that the dark-class skyscraper at 1 Penn Plaza would be closely flanked on the east and west by new dark-class towers and that another new dark-glass tower would rise across from the avenue from 2 Penn Plaza. In addition, the rendering indicates yet another new tall dark-glass tower on the southeast corner of Eighth Avenue and 31st Street.
The timing of the release of the rendering, which has been long awaited by many civic activists curious about the plans, is interesting since Madison Square Garden recently disclosed that it had asked its architect to examine renovations plans for the arena, indicating it may not move to the Farley Post Office.
In addition, an article in today's edition of The New York Times by Charles V. Bagli had the headline "Big Moynihan Station Plan is Sputtering." The article said that the plan is "in deep trouble, struggling under the weight of its own ambition," adding that "with credit drying up, the economy slowing and government assistance in question, there are signs that the plan may have to be significantly scaled back or indefinitely delayed."
It was the first glimpse of what has been contemplated by the joint venture of the Related Companies and Vornado Realty Trust in their negotiations with the state and the city over the redevelopment of the post office property.
The joint venture would like to develop more than 1 million square feet of retail space in the post office property and transfer more than 4 million square feet of unused air rights to sites in and around the existing Penn Station.
The rendering was shown by Gov. Spitzer at a recent meeting of the Association for a Better New York and it indicates that a barrel-vaulted, skylit structure would replace the existing Garden. That structure would have bronze-glass sides except for the central portion of the Eighth Avenue frontage where it would have a projecting, clear-glass bay. The clear-glass roof the new structure would have a central barrel-vaulted section but would not be symmetrical as the south side at 31st Street would have what appears to be a row of greenery at the top.
The rendering also indicates that the rear of the existing, dark-colored glass, office building at 2 Penn Plaza that fronts on Seventh Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets would be reclad in a light-colored glass.
Furthermore, the rendering indicates that the dark-class skyscraper at 1 Penn Plaza would be closely flanked on the east and west by new dark-class towers and that another new dark-glass tower would rise across from the avenue from 2 Penn Plaza. In addition, the rendering indicates yet another new tall dark-glass tower on the southeast corner of Eighth Avenue and 31st Street.
The timing of the release of the rendering, which has been long awaited by many civic activists curious about the plans, is interesting since Madison Square Garden recently disclosed that it had asked its architect to examine renovations plans for the arena, indicating it may not move to the Farley Post Office.
In addition, an article in today's edition of The New York Times by Charles V. Bagli had the headline "Big Moynihan Station Plan is Sputtering." The article said that the plan is "in deep trouble, struggling under the weight of its own ambition," adding that "with credit drying up, the economy slowing and government assistance in question, there are signs that the plan may have to be significantly scaled back or indefinitely delayed."
Architecture Critic
Carter Horsley
Since 1997, Carter B. Horsley has been the editorial director of CityRealty. He began his journalistic career at The New York Times in 1961 where he spent 26 years as a reporter specializing in real estate & architectural news. In 1987, he became the architecture critic and real estate editor of The New York Post.
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