What to Know
- The newly unveiled LIRR concourse at Penn Station nearly doubled in width, from 30 feet to 57, while ceilings were raised to 18 feet. It stretches from Seventh Avenue near the 1/2/3 subway to Eighth Avenue near the A/C/E subway
- Construction of the concourse is one of three major projects transforming the experience of LIRR riders in the coming months, along with the opening of service to Grand Central Madison and the opening of a new Main Line third track; the total cost of the corridor is about $559 million
- "This project shows the MTA is ready to finish transforming the crummy terminal New Yorkers have been suffering with for 50-plus years into a world-class facility," MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said Tuesday
Five years after New York's former governor predicted a "summer of hell" amid extensive, long-awaited track work at an over-crowded Penn Station, the woman who replaced him was on hand Tuesday to debut a new Long Island Rail Road passenger concourse that the MTA vows will be brighter, bigger and less cramped than the infernal bottleneck of the Andrew Cuomo days.
It's certainly wider and higher, for sure. The LIRR concourse at the nation's busiest transit hub nearly doubled in width, from 30 feet to 57, while ceilings were raised to more than double its height -- now reaching 18 feet. The concourse stretches from Seventh Avenue near the 1/2/3 subway to Eighth Avenue near the A/C/E subway and now features 9,500 square feet of programmable color-changing LED ceiling lights.
Gov. Kathy Hochul described the concourse reopening Tuesday as an on-time, on-budget step toward the full-scale reconstruction of Penn Station into a modern, spacious, world-class single-level terminal. It is open to natural light and features a skylight, a reminder that "yes, the heavens are out there still -- despite the feeling you may be living in hell," the Democrat said in June.
Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.
Each day, more than half of Penn Station's 600,000 users pass through the LIRR concourse -- and more than a third of them don't even use the Long Island Rail Road for their daily commutes. The concourse project is expected to be completed in early 2023, and when done will include enhanced accessibility, including a new elevator entrance, mechanical systems to improve air circulation and expand fresh air volume, intuitive wayfinding and more retail and dining options, according to the governor's office.
However, those gathered Tuesday could also see exposed beams from the ongoing construction -- and despite posters promising the return of retail, no stores have opened yet.
News
“Every time I’ve come it looks like they’re always working on it but I guess these things take time," commuter Ingrid Mathison, of West Hempstead, said.
The reconstruction of the Penn Station LIRR concourse is one of three major projects transforming the experience of LIRR riders in the coming months, along with the opening of service to Grand Central Madison and the opening of a new Main Line third track. It's all part of a multi-billion-dollar plan to revamp the Manhattan hub to ease overload and revitalize the surrounding area.
"Penn Station isn't just the busiest transit hub in North America, it is also the beating heart of New York City, and for too long it hasn't provided an experience worthy of New Yorkers," Hochul said in a statement. "Today, we're raising the roof on Penn Station — literally and figuratively - and paving the way for a better future as we unveil a wider, brighter Long Island Rail Road concourse. We're one step closer to making Penn a world-class transit hub and making New York an even more livable, and lovable, city."
The unveiled LIRR Concourse project features $380 million in state funding, with 30% of the contracts awarded to minority- and women-owned businesses. The total cost of the corridor amounts to $559 million. Construction began in June 2019 on the East End Gateway, which opened to the public in December 2020. This past March, seven low-hanging 10-ton beams informally known as "Head Knockers" - that historically limited the heights in Penn Station passageways to 6 feet 8 inches were removed.
The structures above Penn Station are now supported by an innovative structural framing system, installed by Skanska/AECOM.
"This wider, brighter LIRR concourse is just a glimpse of what is coming -- not only for LIRR riders but for all New Yorkers," MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said in a statement. "This project shows the MTA is ready to finish transforming the crummy terminal New Yorkers have been suffering with for 50-plus years into a world-class facility."
Hochul's overarching redevelopment plan calls for turning Penn into a modern, light-filled facility easy to navigate, while also revitalizing the surrounding neighborhood to prioritize the public realm, invest in affordable housing, increase transit access and create a pedestrian-friendly streetscape. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has also supported the transformation.
The Empire State Development Corporation’s members voted unanimously in July to approve the $7 billion dollar plan that calls for New York, New Jersey and the federal government to cover the overhaul costs. New York City will play a role too, as to get the deal done, they will allow developers to tear down existing buildings near the transit hub and construct 10 state-of-the-art skyscrapers.
