Construction Begins on Manhattan’s $10B Midtown Bus Terminal Transformation
https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/construction-begins-on-manhattans-10b-midtown-bus-terminal-transformation/68191
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When will construction of the towers begin?
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I dont think they’re even approved yet so definitely not anytime soon. the priority seems to be on the terminal itself and that won’t be completed until like 2030 something
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It does feel a little backwards, doesn’t it? The revenue from the towers is meant to pay for (at least some of) the construction of the terminal. So doesn’t that mean every year that they’re not collecting that revenue is another year where the PA is accruing interest on their construction loans?
The best comp for this project is the Salesforce Transit Center in SF. Salesforce Tower was finished and generating massive office rents before the Transit Center even opened.
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In any case, the bus station is by far the most important aspect of this project.
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I can forsee a situation where the towers are built while the new bus terminal is being built since the cores are being built anyway with the main structure.
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While the economy has picked up some, developers are still being judicious at where they want new towers. Case in point Penn15.
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I dont think you have to worry about PA. Of any agency, their balance sheet is pretty solid.
No matter how you cut it, the staging of the project is going to govern the program. They have to sequence the work in a way to maintain the operations of the tunnels and busses.
I don’t expect to see towers above the new terminal until well into 2030’s
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I really hope more “polished” renders are released because honestly the current design for the new PABT is quite ugly. The brown/maroon base clashes awfully with the silver and it will get dated quickly. They should of went with black or grey and the coverings for the actual bus ramps and boarding areas don’t look any better. As desperately needed this renovation is, the more I look at it, the less of a fan of the new design I get. I do hope the actual finished product comes out nice.
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As someone who worked on the design, I think it’ll look better when it’s built. The podium level is designed to reflect the scale of the neighborhood, and some levels of metal paneling will have terra cotta infill, adding a bit of texture. The silver above is designed to let the upper levels “disappear” into the sky and reduce its overall bulk.
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That’s pretty cool that you worked on the design. I also appreciate the thoughtfulness of the design, but I still don’t like the choice of red though, it doesn’t fit in well with the silver.
I hope it doesn’t disappoint because it’s going to stick around for a while.
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That’s the great thing about cities. If you don’t like a color on a building it gets darker over time.
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Some more news about the staging area work. The staging area and temporary terminal portion are expected to start being built in the fall of this year.
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We really need more drawings, renderings, and floorplans of what is going into this first phase.
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what is going into phase 1 is:
The Dyer Deck Overs - already under construction
The SSF which will act as the temporary terminal and the permanent bus staging building
The Helix Ramps which is the permanent ramp system for the terminal and will be built over galvin plaza and 10th avenue.
After this phase is complete, the existing terminal can be demolished and the new terminal built in its place and connected to the SSF.
Think of this project like LGA - very staged because of constraints.
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The ramps will also have direct access to the Lincoln Tunnel, which means buses will be able to go from the tunnel to the terminal without travelling on local streets. This will do wonders as buses no longer have to worry about regular traffic and will go straight to the terminal.
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It’s kind of crazy to see progress on this materializing. 20 years ago there were articles in the newspapers of renderings for a “new” PABT and so many false hopes after that. 20 years ago we also thought that surely a 2WTC will rise, it’s in the master plan! Some other projects that have been kicking around for 2 decades: the Freedom Plaza/ConEd site thing, Pacific Park/Atlantic Yards, Sunnyside Yards, 5WTC, and Willets Point (which also is well underway) - These were things discussed on the Wired New York forum when Bloomberg was in his first and second term!
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buses currently travel directly from the tunnel to the terminal, with the exception of buses that need to go to and from the lowest level of the terminal
Are you saying the ramps will allow direct access between the tunnel and each level (including the subterranean levels) of the new terminal?