NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� When Manhattan’s original Pennsylvania Station was demolished in 1963, it marked the undignified end to one of America鈥檚 great public works, a monolithic Beaux Arts train terminal with Roman-style columns and a spacious central waiting area that was at the time the city’s .
In its place rose 鈥� home of NBA鈥檚 and NHL鈥檚 鈥� while train commuters were forced underground into gloomy, claustrophobic, low-ceilinged corridors when the redesign was completed in 1968.
鈥淭hrough Pennsylvania Station one entered the city like a god,鈥� the architectural historian Vincent Scully . 鈥淥ne scuttles in now like a rat.鈥�
But a dramatic new vision for the in the Western Hemisphere calls for a return to the original station’s grandeur from 1910.
feature a rectangular stone facade lined with imposing columns along a grand entryway. Inside, a sunlight-drenched concourse boasts soaring ceilings more than 50 feet (15 meters) high in places. There are bronze finishes and other ornamental details, like a bas-relief of the city鈥檚 famous skyline and a large station clock.
Inside one entryway, an inside wall bears the seal and name of President , who had of the project last year after decades of among transit agencies and opposition to moving MSG from billionaire owner James Dolan.
Trump has floated renaming his hometown station in his honor as he鈥檚 sought to burnish his legacy through public works projects, from a to .
For now, though, the name etched across the proposed grand facade would still read 鈥淧ennsylvania Station,鈥� according to the renderings. They were released by Amtrak, which owns the terminal, and Penn Transformation Partners, the design and development consortium picked for the project.
Proposal aims to make Penn Station an icon again
The proposed design draws from the ornate, Beaux-Arts design of Grand Central Terminal, the city鈥檚 other major rail hub, as well as Art Deco landmarks like the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center, according to lead design architect Vishaan Chakrabarti.
The vision, he said, is to restore Penn Station鈥檚 place among the pantheon of the city鈥檚 greatest landmarks.
鈥淭here was this fearless embrace of ornament and decoration that in some ways we鈥檝e lost,鈥� Chakrabarti said. 鈥淲e want to bring some of that sense of craftsmanship back.鈥�
The redesign is projected to cost roughly $8 billion, and construction is targeted to begin before the end of 2027, officials said Monday. Penn Station would remain in operation throughout as the project progresses in phases over about six years.
More than 600,000 commuters traverse the rail hub on any given workday, or more than the three major international airports that serve greater New York City 鈥� John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty 鈥� combined.
Knicks and Rangers home arena would remain at the site
Plans floated over the decades have called for relocating MSG, but the plan is for the 鈥淲orld鈥檚 Most Famous Arena鈥� to remain in place. A theater owned by MSG and built directly above the tracks, however, would have to be razed.
The developers and MSG’s owner have reached an agreement on this critical point, but the final terms 鈥� including payment 鈥� are still being negotiated. That’s according to Andy Byford, a former New York City subway chief who Amtrak named as a special adviser to oversee the redevelopment.
Transit advocates complain the process has been shrouded in secrecy.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really important that there be public input and involvement,鈥� said Lisa Daglian, who heads a group that advises the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates New York鈥檚 subway and two commuter rail systems.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 need another megamall or monument and certainly not at the cost of billions in local revenue or by putting existing services at risk,鈥� added Danny Pearlstein of the transit advocacy group Riders Alliance.
Byford said more details will be revealed in the months ahead, including a more detailed breakdown of costs, as the developers refine the preliminary designs and the project goes through the extensive federal environmental review process.
But he vowed no fare hikes to cover project costs and no plans for the government to condemn and take surrounding properties to expand the station, as some have suggested.
At Penn Station on Tuesday, John Schoen was among the regular riders who welcomed the prospect of a more inviting commute.
鈥淭he city needs new looks. This is old,鈥� the 55-year-old Long Island resident said. 鈥淟et鈥檚 do it. Move forward.鈥�
Others, though, wondered how construction might worsen their commutes. James Culhane, another Long Island rider, noted parts of the station received a significant face-lift in recent years that brought in new eateries, more natural light and other improvements.
鈥淭hings are operating as well as they can be,鈥� said the 24-year-old opera stagehand. 鈥淛ust use the money elsewhere.鈥�
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