Grand Penn’s about as developed as a first-year architecture student project. If it gets selected, it’s going to change a lot between now and construction.
The website has no renderings.
I can respect the idea to bring a classical train hall design. What I can’t accept is Grand Penn’s slapstick approach that creates massive clashes between it and Penn 2, while doing nothing to improve the actual basement train hall. Their previous subgrade renders felt amateur, divorced from their statements of classical design and basement like. Just my 2cents
Exactly this. Grand Penn just uses a piecemeal approach that, while it moves MSG, it does not do anything else of value, as you would think Penn would get a new, dedicated train hall, which moving MSG would make possible. All they’re going to do is keep Penn buried while adding things that clash with 2 Penn, which further detracts from its appearance
I have higher hopes for the other two shortlisted proposals as they are backed by well-known firms, although no renders exist yet.
For those who know why we’re so critical of Grand Penn, here’s their website with renders of what they plan to do.
Why does the Grand Penn plan even bother moving MSG just to bury the new station underground anyway. I can’t even fathom any logical sense behind that. Just to create a bland copy of Bryant Park?
I think most of us can agree on through running but if MSG is moved Penn Station deserves an actual train hall
msg wont fit on that parcel unfortunately. would be half the size of current msg which isnt even a huge arena to begin with
their rendering of a new MSG show it on a superblock between 34th and 32nd streets. you can see Macy’s in both.
Maybe they can even put a Las Vegas-sized “Sphere” on that superblock.
The one in Las Vegas has a diameter of 516 feet. Each NYC block is 264 feet, which multiplied by two is 528 feet. That’s a tight squeeze, so it may need to cantilever a bit over the sidewalks on the north side of West Thirty-fourth Street and the south side of West Thirty-second Street.
So their expectation is to not only commandeer Vornado’s parcel, but then all of those additional unaccounted parcels between 33rd and 34? Is the plan to use eminent domain?
Great. Something else big that we’ll have to walk around.
still not near the size of the current MSG
Please god no
The Penn Forward NOW website is now dead.
Well that’s upsetting, did anyone get to see it?
It’s obviously the most ridiculous of the plans. Let’s wipe out billions in high density existing and potential office space to move an arena across the street, and create the same blight as today. Oh, and let’s build a train hall that looks like it was designed by an 8th grader into neo-traditionalist architecture.
I did, and it had no renderings. It wasn’t anything special.
I’m hoping that doesn’t mean they were thrown out already. It would’ve been nice to have SOM involved due to the fact that they designed the East End Gateway entrance and Moynihan so there would’ve possibly been some continuity of design.
Great news. I want through running and classical architecture.
Again, there is no thru-running. None of the agencies are even involved. LIRR, Metro North, and NJT have the same involvement as you or I (none).
And I don’t get why people would insist on classical architecture for a transportation hub in the Penn District, which is IMO very weird.

