Governor Hochul was on NY1’s “Inside City Hall” last night. As a final question, host Errol Lewis brought up Penn Station. He noted that giant new commercial towers around the station are now off the table and that there is talk of through running. That would allow trains to continue through Penn Station to other destinations instead of dead-ending there as they do now. He asked the Governor if through running was part of current plans.
You can see the clip here. Maybe someone could help decipher what the Governor said.
Did she answer anything about through running? Did we learn what she meant by giving New York a “world-class” station? Why did she not clarify that initial plans for giant office towers around the station would only have paid a small portion of Penn improvements? Does she think she needs to demolish six blocks around the station to get new housing in the area? She said Gateway would take a long time. Gateway is a railroad plan to tunnel under and destroy the block south of Penn to add additional tracks that would dead-end there. So she’s for Gateway, not through running?
Just a reminder that the Conservancy is supporting a lawsuit challenging the State’s plan to level six blocks around Penn Station. That would drive out thousands of residents and local businesses and destroy a number of historic buildings. The Conservancy believes the plan was illegal from the start. If the Governor has new plans, we maintain she needs a whole new proposal.
Instead, she wants to keep this “zombie” proposal. That would allow Vornado, the developer originally promoting giant commercial towers, to build whatever it wants to, whenever financing is available. Letting the plan linger continues to hurt the neighborhood economy and leaves people in limbo. We hope the court puts a stake in it soon.
Peg Breen, President
The New York Landmarks Conservancy