NEW YORK | 20 Times Square - Port Authority Bus Terminal Tower | 855 FT | 42 FLOORS

[Dac150]

It's only a matter of time until the right 'fit' comes along. Personally, I think the terminal is a prime opportunity for an office development. Larry is no stranger to that area, so it's probable to assume he would know how to make a residential tower 'work' on such an awkward site.

Tower aside, that terminal needs a facelift!

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Dac150

Personally, I think the terminal is a prime opportunity for an office development. Larry is no stranger to that area, so it's probable to assume he would know how to make a residential tower 'work' on such an awkward site.

Well, they would have to get an office tower built on top of the bus terminal itself before trying to get one built on top of a garage. But I'm convinced people will live anywhere in Manhattan, and there have been a lot of residential towers and hotels built next to and around the terminal. Whether or not they get the office tower built, there is still a need for that bus garage, and Larry Silverstein has been successful with residential in the area.


http://www.observer.com/2012/04/silverst...es-new-bus-terminal-on-west-39th-street/
Silverstein Beats Vornado to the Port Authority Punch Again, Proposes New Bus (Garage) on West 39th Street




By Matt Chaban
April 26, 2012

The Port Authority has been desperate to replace its eponymous bus terminal near Times Square for at least a decade now. Vornado Realty was supposed to build a new office tower atop the terminal, which it would rebuild in the process, but after years of planning, that proposal collapsed.

Now, it turns out Larry Silverstein has quietly floated a plan to build a new terminal on West 39th Street, according to Crain’s, near the mouth of the Lincoln Tunnel, atop which Mr. Silversterin would build a new residential building.

[scalziand]

It'll be lovely to finally start getting some of that spaghetti covered up.

The references to the old Mercedes house are confusing though.

[tone99loc]

Good - For the world's largest bus terminal, they really need a new building. Here's a short list of things that suck about the current bus terminal:

* Building (interior and exterior) are dated, ugly and uninspiring
* Terrible signage, super confusing for anybody that isn't a regular commuter
* During rush hour, often not enough space at gates
* Absolutely disgusting bathrooms
* Nowhere to sit (probably this is intentional to keep homeless out, but seriously, nowhere except inside some eateries)
* All immediately surrounding street fronts are unwelcoming
* Attracts vagrants (for decades), this might be unavoidable
* Some of the retail tenants really suck (Munchy's, etc.)

I think I might actually hate Penn Station more than the PABT, but it's pretty close.

[Towersteve]

Originally Posted by tone99loc

Good - For the world's largest bus terminal, they really need a new building. Here's a short list of things that suck about the current bus terminal:

* Building (interior and exterior) are dated, ugly and uninspiring
* Terrible signage, super confusing for anybody that isn't a regular commuter
* During rush hour, often not enough space at gates
* Absolutely disgusting bathrooms
* Nowhere to sit (probably this is intentional to keep homeless out, but seriously, nowhere except inside some eateries)
* All immediately surrounding street fronts are unwelcoming
* Attracts vagrants (for decades), this might be unavoidable
* Some of the retail tenants really suck (Munchy's, etc.)

I think I might actually hate Penn Station more than the PABT, but it's pretty close.

I share your pain on all of these. I would add the bathrooms on the third level are completely inadequate.. and not only is there not enough room at the gates for passengers, there's not enough room for buses at the gates.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by tone99loc

Good - For the world's largest bus terminal, they really need a new building. Here's a short list of things that suck about the current bus terminal:

They aren't talking about replacing the bus terminal. They're talking about building a bus garage on a separate site, so the bus congestion will be less crazy.

Silverstein has a site for a huge residential tower on 39th between 10th/11th, and he's offering to build the Port Authority a bus garage on the base (likely in exchange for some benefit like more air rights).

The bus terminal itself was scheduled to be renovated/expanded, but in tandem with development of an office tower on top by Vornado. Unfortunately, Vornado's Chinese financing partner went bust, and the office tower plan is on hold.

Mods, we should probably split this thread in two, because we're talking about two separate sites. This new Silverstein residential tower is a few blocks west of the bus terminal, and is totally different from the Vornado office tower plan.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Crawford

Mods, we should probably split this thread in two, because we're talking about two separate sites. This new Silverstein residential tower is a few blocks west of the bus terminal, and is totally different from the Vornado office tower plan.

It is two separate issues, but the Silverstein plan isn't an actual proposal at this point. It's in relation to the bus terminal though. I use the terminal pretty frequently, and it should be kept in mind that the terminal is actually two different buildings. In the portion of the terminal I use regularly, thereisseating, though I never use it. Bathrooms are pretty much disgusting everywhere, I don't see anything extra grungy about the PA's restrooms. I actually see more "vagrants" in Penn Station that at the bus terminal. As far as appearance, its part shopping mall/part bus terminal. If you don't like the retail tenants, simply don't shop there. It's meant to be a portal in and out of the City, and eventually the PA will get around to sprucing up the place, even if they have to raise tolls again to do so, something I'm sure won't go down too easy either.

[tone99loc]

Originally Posted by NYguy

It is two separate issues, but the Silverstein plan isn't an actual proposal at this point. It's in relation to the bus terminal though. I use the terminal pretty frequently, and it should be kept in mind that the terminal is actually two different buildings. In the portion of the terminal I use regularly, thereisseating, though I never use it. Bathrooms are pretty much disgusting everywhere, I don't see anything extra grungy about the PA's restrooms. I actually see more "vagrants" in Penn Station that at the bus terminal. As far as appearance, its part shopping mall/part bus terminal. If you don't like the retail tenants, simply don't shop there. It's meant to be a portal in and out of the City, and eventually the PA will get around to sprucing up the place, even if they have to raise tolls again to do so, something I'm sure won't go down too easy either.

True, the north terminal is better. I will say the PABT is functional, but it really is unpleasant. I don't know how you can really defend the place, some hilarious comments on Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/port-authority-bus-terminal-new-york

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by tone99loc

I don't know how you can really defend the place, some hilarious comments on Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/port-authority-bus-terminal-new-york

It's not so much that I defend the place as that I know what it is. It's one of the most functional, and probably one of the better looking bus terminals I've ever seen. It's not on a level of Grand Central Station, but I don't think anyone can make the argument that it's any worse than Penn Station. The so called "seediness" is often exagerated because it's a bus terminal.

[NYguy]

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/po...-manhattan-bound-buses-those-pointless-t

Can special elevators spare Manhattan-bound buses those pointless trips back to New Jersey?




By Dana Rubinstein
May. 1, 2012

During a breakfast forum last week, Port Authority executive director Patrick Foye described an old proposal by developer Larry Silverstein to build a new bus garage on the far west side as "interesting" and "provocative." To be clear, it's not the desire for a new bus garage that is provocative, so much as the way it would have to be built. The need is apparent. Right now, buses pick up New Jersey residents in the morning, deposit them at the Port Authority Bus Terminal at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue, and then, because they have no place to park, return to New Jersey, only to make the round trip all over again for the evening rush hour. Buses routinely get caught up in Lincoln Tunnel traffic, a situation for which there is no resolution in sight, thanks in part to Governor Chris Christie’s decision to kill the ARC tunnels in 2010.

A bus garage somewhere on the far west side, though, would go some way toward ameliorating the problem. The Port Authority has toyed with the idea of building a bus garage on a platform over the depressed access roads leading to the Lincoln Tunnel, but building platforms can be prohibitively expensive. A bus garage with a tower on top could be built on solid land, at 39th Street and Dyer Avenue.

Silverstein’s particular proposal, however, comes with a couple of major challenges, which is where “provocative” comes into it. First, the site is too narrow to accomodate the sort of bus ramps that the Port Authority terminal relies on. Instead, the new bus garage would have to use high-tech bus elevators, according to two sources familiar with the proposal. The technology exists. But neither source could name another city that actually uses elevators for bus parking. So the use of them in New York City would be, in a sense, experimental. Further, because the bus garage would occupy the first several floors of whatever tower Silverstein has in mind, any residents or tenants seeking to get to the skyscraper above the garage would first have take an elevator to a sky lobby. The whole building, in other words, would rely an unorthodox use of elevators.

[Eidolon]

http://www.globest.com/news/12_407/newyo...-PABT-Retail-Gets-An-Upgrade-323939.html

Last Updated: August 2, 2012 11:56pm ET
by Jacqueline Hlavenka

NEW YORK CITY-In an effort to revitalize the facility and improve amenities for commuters, the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey gave two national retailers the green light for space inside the aging Port Authority Bus Terminal at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan at a public meeting on Aug. 1. The Port Authority Board of Commissioners approved retail leases for Starbucks and PNC Bank, a Port spokesman confirms to GlobeSt.com.

According to a resolution from the Port, Starbucks inked a deal for approximately 2,165 square feet on the ground floor of the terminal’s south wing for a 10-year term and will invest approximately $1 million over the next four months to build its new store. On the other side of the building, PNC Bank is leasing 4,910 square feet of space located on both the ground level and second floor of the north wing, with another 150 square feet for ATMs on the ground floor of the south wing. Under its lease agreement with the Port Authority, the bank will invest more than $3 million in terminal improvements. Both deals were brokered by Vornado Realty Trust.

The new tenants are the latest businesses to set up shop in the bus terminal since the bi-state agency began discussions to revamp and make improvements to the facility. Earlier in the year, the Port also approved a three-year, 2,774 square foot deal for Discovery LLC, which will house the Cake Boss Café, an offshoot of the famed Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, and a 20-year lease renewal for pharmacy retail chain Duane Reade in the south wing. As part of these lease deals, Discovery will invest $2 million toward the store, and Duane Reade will plunk down $2.7 million toward infrastructure enhancements. Existing tenants at the PABT include Jamba Juice, Au Bon Pain, Bolton's, Strawberry and Heartland Brewerty Restaurant.

Port Authority vice chairman Scott Rechler, also CEO of RXR Realty, says the Port’s efforts to attract top shelf tenants to the PABT are paying dividends, both for the customers who use the facility every day and for the agency. “All of our new tenants are investing private dollars to enhance the appearance of this transportation facility, supporting critical improvements to this vital transportation hub that serves 7,000 buses daily,” he says.

The terminal – which serves 64,550,000 passengers and 2,263,500 bus movements – is also experiencing steady increases in ridership. Chris Ward, the former executive director at the Port, said at a New York Building Congress event last year that more people are coming into the city by bus than by rail to the central business district, citing a 42% rise in bus travel over the last 25 years between New York and New Jersey.

At the same time, a joint venture between the Port and Vornado to construct a 1.3-million-square-foot class A office tower atop the facility was put on pause due to the city's sluggish office market in late 2011.

It shall be put back on the table when the time is right.

[yankeesfan1000]

Port Authority: We’ve Reformed. Critics: Really?
By Bob Hennelly | 09/19/2012 – 7:37 pm



"... The consultants identified several areas where they felt the Port Authority could bring in as much as $150 million dollars in additional cash annually in non-toll revenue. On the list of possible money makers: additional advertising revenue, improving toll violation recovery, selling off some of the agency’s real estate portfolio like the Newark Legal Center and the Teleport business park — as well as selling air rights to the Port Authority’s midtown bus terminal and its Journal Square PATH train station..."

[DURKEY427]

Is there any news on this project?

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by DURKEY427

Is there any news on this project?

No. Vornado is having internal issues, and its projects seem to mostly be on hold.

They've announced the Hotel Pennsylvania will be renovated, and so the 15 Penn Plaza project is on hold. Similarly, they don't seem to have the financing for this project.

For the Port Authority project, Vornado doesn't own the site, though, so I'm guessing the Port Authority will sell the development rights to another developer.

For the Penn Plaza project, we'll have to wait and see if the development rights eventually go on the Hotel Penn site, or if they have a plan to shift the tower to one of the adjacent sites.

[DURKEY427]

Thanks. This tower wouldnt disapoint me if it wasnt built much like 15 penn

[Hamilton]

IF there were news, somebody would certainly have bumped it and updated the thread. Bumping old stale proposals like this is against board etiquette.

[DURKEY427]

Originally Posted by Hamilton

IF there were news, somebody would certainly have bumped it and updated the thread. Bumping old stale proposals like this is against board etiquette.

Well im sorry

[NYguy]

http://therealdeal.com/blog/2013/06/27/p...for-revamp-of-flagship-transit-terminal/

Port Authority awards contract for transit terminal revamp





June 27, 2013
Julie Strickland

Architecture firms Kohn Pedersen Fox and Parsons Brinckerhoff were selected to head up the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s “Midtown bus master plan,” which may ultimately call for the replacement of the existing transportation hub on 42nd Street, WNYC reported.

The plan is to factor in growing interstate travel, the impact on the community of idling buses on local streets and “more equitable funding from carriers operating at the terminal.”

A timeline has not been set, and it is unclear whether Kohn Pedersen Fox and Parsons Brinckerhoff will take past suggestions for PABT into consideration. Among previously proposed remedies were evergreen trees beside stacked bus gates and plans to build a tower over the terminal, an idea that snagged some attention in 2008.

http://www.panynj.gov/press-room/press-item.cfm?headLine_id=1800

PORT AUTHORITY BOARD AWARDS CONTRACT TO CONDUCT COMPREHENSIVE STUDY
AND CREATE PLAN TO IMPROVE AND REVITALIZE BUS TERMINAL


Date: Jun 27, 2013

The Board authorized a contract with Kohn Pedersen Fox and Parsons Brinckerhoff to create a comprehensive, long-term plan that will improve the quality of interstate public transit services and reduce the impacts of interstate buses on surrounding communities. The plan will explore options for terminal enhancements and possible terminal replacement, a state-of-good-repair investment program, and new bus staging and storage facilities on the west side of Manhattan to improve bus operations and limit the amount of buses idling on city streets.

The bus terminal – the world’s busiest bus facility – serves more than 65 million people a year. It is already at capacity during peak periods and in need of significant improvements to meet the growing demands of commuters. When the region’s transportation network was severely disrupted in the weeks following Superstorm Sandy, the bus terminal accommodated thousands of additional customers diverted from other modes of transport. The facility was critical in getting the region moving again during the recovery from the storm, but the increased usage magnified the terminal’s current limitations and the need to explore options to handle future passenger growth.

“The development of a Master Plan underscores the Port Authority’s commitment to make the Bus Terminal a world-class facility and bus transit the most reliable mode of access to midtown Manhattan,” said Port Authority Chairman David Samson. “While the Port Authority has already begun the work of revitalizing the Bus Terminal, including the recent acquisition of top-shelf tenants like Starbucks and Cake Boss Café and the installation of WIFI in the South Wing concourse, this comprehensive approach is the best way to ensure the Bus Terminal keeps pace with future passenger growth over the next fifty years.”

The Midtown Bus Master Plan also will be a major step towards integrating the bus terminal into the rapid development on the west side of Manhattan. Modernizing the bus terminal will keep it apace with other public investments in the area and enable it to accommodate increases in customers and commerce. Around 8,000 buses and 225,000 travelers pass through the bus terminal every day. To continue its commitment to quality customer service, an essential part of the Master Plan will include options for phasing construction at the facility to maintain operations and meet customer demands.

The Master Plan will also include the design of a sustainable funding strategy that incorporates participation by the private sector and more equitable funding from carriers operating at the Terminal. This strategy will include the development of air rights above both wings of the Port Authority Bus Terminal to generate revenues to offset implementation costs.

The plan will supplement other ongoing Port Authority initiatives to support improvements to the terminal and the interstate bus network. These efforts include aggressive marketing to acquire new tenants, a demand forecast, and a structural slab assessment.

[Design-mind]

If KPF is the firm to redo the Port Authority Bus Terminal Tower it will not be short of spectacular. The confusing part is didn't the Port Authority already conduct a comprehensive study and end up rejecting all the ideas brought to the table?

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Design-mind

The confusing part is didn't the Port Authority already conduct a comprehensive study and end up rejecting all the ideas brought to the table?

Well, as long as they keep studying, they'll never actually have to do anything. You gotta love it.

The plan will explore options for terminal enhancements and possible terminal replacement, a state-of-good-repair investment program, and new bus staging and storage facilities on the west side of Manhattan to improve bus operations and limit the amount of buses idling on city streets.

Maybe they should just bring in Calatrava and give us a spectacular bus terminal on par with the new PATH terminal...