Moynihan Train Hall Renderings. Photo: courtesy of SOM.
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced the developer-builder for the redevelopement of the historic James A. Farley Post Office into a transportation hub, creating a new 255,000 square foot Train Hall to house passenger facilities for the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Amtrak. The project will also eventually accommodate passengers from Metro-North. The developer-builder joint venture is made up of Related Companies, Vornado Realty LP, and Skanska AB.
The joint venture will also create 112,000 square feet of retail and nearly 588,000 square feet of office space within the Farley Building. A total of nine platforms and 17 tracks will be accessible from the Train Hall. Work will begin this fall, with the project expected to be completed by December 2020.
“New York’s tomorrow depends on what we do today, and the new Moynihan Train Hall will be a world-class 21st century transportation hub,” said Governor Cuomo. “With more than twice the passengers of all JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark airports combined, the current Penn Station is overcrowded, decrepit, and claustrophobic.”
“The Moynihan Train Hall will have more space than Grand Central’s main concourse, housing both Amtrak and LIRR ticketing and waiting areas, along with state-of-the-art security features, a modern, digital passenger experience, and a host of dining and retail options,” added the Governor. “This is not a plan – this is what’s going to happen. People are going to walk through this station and recognize that this is New York.”
Related, Vornado, and Skanska have all provided guarantees to complete the $1.595 billion project on time and, as part of the agreement, will pay the state a total of approximately $600 million in recognition to the value of the development opportunity within the Farley Building. The remainder of the project will be supported by $570 million from Empire State Development and $425 million from a combination of Amtrak, LIRR, Port Authority and federal government sources.
In addition to the plans for the Farley Building, the Governor also announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will at the same time initiate the comprehensive redesign of the LIRR’s existing 33rd Street concourse at Penn Station and an extensive renovation to the adjacent Seventh and Eighth Avenue subway stations.
The redesign will include nearly tripling the width of the existing corridor, upgraded lighting and wayfinding, and digital screens to convey information. It also includes upgrading the two subway stations at Penn Station. Many of these improvements to subway stations on Seventh and Eighth Avenues are expected as early as 2018 and will cost approximately $50 million.
Construction on the LIRR concourse and the subway stations will conclude by or before completion of the work on the Farley Train Hall. Construction of the new LIRR corridor will cost an estimated $170 million.
The MTA issued an RFP for the preliminary design of Penn Station improvements to pre-qualified consulting firms. A contract is expected to be awarded by the end of 2016.
Thomas Prendergast, MTA chairman & CEO, stated, “The new Farley Train Hall will streamline travel into and through the region for the 230,000 LIRR daily passengers and millions of subway riders through the vastly improved Seventh and Eighth Avenues stations. Governor Cuomo has turned what for decades was merely rhetoric about investing in infrastructure into reality, and the improved MTA travel experience and resulting regional economy boost will be felt long into the future.”
“We applaud Governor Cuomo's leadership in transforming the Farley Post Office building into a state-of-the-art rail station,” remarked Amtrak Board Chairman Anthony R. Coscia. “In addition to the new Moynihan Train Hall, which will serve as Amtrak’s future station in Manhattan, this project will allow for enhancements at Penn Station that will significantly improve the customer experience for its many users.”
“Taken together with the infrastructure improvements being advanced under the Gateway Program, Amtrak is committed to working with New York State and other key stakeholders to advance the investments befitting America’s busiest train station,” added Coscia.