Swish!
Madison Square Garden will not be forced to relocate under a Penn Station redesign plan approved by the Trump administration and Amtrak Wednesday — with the federal government pledging $8 billion to revamp the decrepit train hub.
Halmar/Penn Transformation Partners was the “master developer” chosen to lead the overhaul of the nation’s busiest commuter rail station, US Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the Amtrak Board of Directors said in a joint announcement.
Officials said Halmar’s construction design will be released in the coming months, with groundbreaking expected by the end of 2027.
The makeover will include:
- Constructing a grand entrance on Eighth Avenue to a new train hall.
- Replacing cramped, decrepit walkways with open, beautiful concourses.
- Expanding track capacity and adding new retail stores.
- Keeping the iconic MSG linked to the station, while making passenger experience improvements there.
Some planners argued that dramatically transforming Penn was not possible without moving MSG.
Another bidder for the project, Grand Penn Partners supported by Trump and GOP mega-donor Tom Klingenstein, had proposed moving MSG across Seventh Avenue.
But MSG owner James Dolan opposed relocating what’s called “The World’s Most Famous Arena” — home of the red hot playoff Knicks basketball team and Rangers hockey team.
The facelift of the run-down Midtown commuter hub is a top priority for President Trump, and his admin announced the feds will dedicate $8 billion for the long-delayed project.
“When it comes to our rail, we’re making generational improvements to the Northeast Corridor,” Duffy said during testimony at a Senate hearing Wednesday.
“That means … a transformative investment in New York’s Penn Station — $8 billion, by the way.”
Trump fired the Metropolitan Transportation Authority last year and put the feds in charge of redeveloping Penn Station with Amtrak following years of delay and squabbling among the hub’s stakeholders.
The MTA’s Long Island Railroad uses Penn along with Amtrak and New Jersey Transit and the city subway system connects to it.
“We took over the transformation of New York Penn Station because the project was behind schedule, over budget, and hopelessly mismanaged. One year later, we continue to hit major milestones at record speed,” Duffy said.
“In selecting Penn Transformation Partners (Halmar) and their innovative plan, we are one step closer to delivering a world-class travel hub that daily commuters and travelers have dreamed of for decades,” he said.
“Under President Trump’s historic leadership, the days of Penn Station’s cramped hallways, broken infrastructure, and snarled rail lines are numbered. 2027 can’t come soon enough.”
The firm also works on the Second Avenue subway extension.
Former NYC Transit President Andy Byford, affectionately called “train daddy,” served as Amtrak’s special advisor, overseeing the bidding process.
“Everyone at Amtrak is thrilled to announce Penn Transformation Partners (Halmar) and even more excited that the project is one step closer to having shovels in the ground next year,” Byford said.
“The rapid completion of a rigorous procurement process represents more than just delivering on a highly ambitious milestone; it demonstrates that Amtrak and USDOT are uniquely capable of making this vision a reality.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul welcomed the news, calling the selection of a developer “an important step” in Penn Station’s reconstruction.
“From the day I took office, I made reimagining Penn Station a priority. While Penn is a federal asset, New York spent years trying to move this project forward, only to face significant federal bureaucratic hurdles at nearly every step,” she said.
“Last year, I took my case directly to the White House to cut through red tape and secure full federal funding for delivery of this project, saving New York taxpayers over $1 billion and accelerating this long overdue transformation,” Hochul continued.
“To be successful, this project must accomplish two things: dramatically improve the experience for every rider who passes through Penn Station, from the A train to the Acela, while protecting the record performance of the LIRR and ensuring the costs are not borne by New York commuters or taxpayers,” she said. “I will accept nothing less.”
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