Swish!
Madison Square Garden is set to remain in its current location as part of a newly approved redesign of Penn Station, announced on Wednesday by the Trump administration and Amtrak. The federal government is committing an impressive $8 billion to breathe new life into the aging transportation hub.
The project will be spearheaded by Halmar/Penn Transformation Partners, selected as the “master developer” for rejuvenating the country’s busiest commuter rail station, as shared in a joint statement from US Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the Amtrak Board of Directors.
Officials revealed that Halmar’s construction plans are anticipated to be unveiled in the coming months, with construction set to commence by late 2027.
The revitalization project will encompass:
- 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.
Although some planners have argued that a significant transformation of Penn Station would necessitate relocating MSG, this plan allows the iconic venue to stay put.
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.”
