Commuters exiting Penn Station will experience a more welcome streetscape thanks to $65 million in upgrades planned for the 114-year-old facility. A major hub for Long Island riders, the upgrades will include new sidewalks, trees, flowers, and granite pavers, the owner of the property, Vornado Realty Trust, announced.
The once-gloomy station is undergoing a transformation with a planned $7 billion initiative to open up the terminal to natural light. "Our vision is to welcome office workers, commuters, visitors and shoppers with wide granite sidewalks, expansive tree-lined plazas, new and accessible entrances to Penn Station, and storefronts activated by outstanding curated restaurants and retailers," gushed Vornado Executive Vice President Barry Langer.
In addition to doubling the width of the sidewalks outside of the station, Vornado is installing four acres of granite paver stones imported from Belgium and creating a 16,000-square-foot pedestrian plaza on 33rd Street replete with new restaurants and outdoor seating.
The New York City Department of Transportation, a partner with Vornado on the plaza project, said they are creating a "world-class public space in the heart of Midtown benefiting New Yorkers who live and work in the area, as well as those who travel through the busiest transportation hub in the Western Hemisphere."
The most-traveled corridor leading into and out of Penn and adjacent Madison Square Garden, Seventh Avenue, will see wider sidewalks between 31st and 34th streets. Handicapped accessibility is also being bolstered with three new elevators heading down into the station. The construction is already underway with the entire project expected to be done by the fall.