NEW YORK | Empire Station District | 9 Towers (18-20 msf)| FT | FLOORS

[NYguy]

Here’s a shocker…


https://commercialobserver.com/2022/...ation-hearing/

Former Empire Station Complex Still Causing Anxiety Despite Revisions





BY MARK HALLUM
JANUARY 21, 2022

Empire State Development’s (ESD) proposed revisions to the redevelopment of Pennsylvania Station, known as the Empire Station Complex under the Cuomo administration, have done little to bring opponents around.

During a Thursday hearing, a number of elected officials from the Bronx and Long Island, N.Y. voiced their support for the redevelopment while Manhattanites long-opposed to the plan conceived by disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo persisted in their doubt.

Holly Leicht, executive vice president of real estate development and planning at ESD, said New Yorkers can expect 8 acres of public space, including a 30,000-square-foot plaza comparable in size to Rockefeller Center.

“The proposed revisions would increase housing opportunities requiring at least one residential building with approximately 540 units of which 162 would be permanently affordable, and permitting up to a total of about 1,800 residential units across four sides of which 540 would be permanently affordable,” Leicht said during a hearing on the plans Thursday night. “In total, the proposed revisions will facilitate the creation of about 8 acres of public space in the form of new plazas and open space including a 3,000-square-foot public plaza comparable to Rockefeller Plaza which is shown in this slide.”

The divide between residents of Midtown and surrounding areas and those living beyond the direct scope of the redevelopment became almost immediately clear.

Newly elected Manhattan City Councilmember Erik Bottcher expressed dismay that the majority of space would go toward office space, with Vornado Realty Trust owning five of the sites within the project area, instead of going bigger on affordable housing.

Hochul’s revisions cut back on total density allowed in the plan by 1.4 million feet compared to Cuomo’s outline by reducing the heights of buildings to protect views of the Empire State Building along West 33rd Street. The reduced density will not impact the tower that will go up in place of the former Hotel Pennsylvania, according to a representative from Vornado, a point of friction for preservationists.

“This is an opportunity for thousands of units of affordable housing at all income gains and supportive housing to middle-income housing. We need large numbers of affordable housing and it must be guaranteed as part of any project,” Bottcher said. “Should we not attempt to recreate at least some of the majesty of the original Pennsylvania Station? The proposals I’ve seen do not do that and furthermore, will we ever truly get the train home that we need and deserve?”

[NYguy]

Madison Square Garden isn't moving. But that doesn't stop the gravy train of silly proposals, and the people who make them from talking.

This one has a super-duper proposal for CB4, and puts the "Meadowlands" into MSG.



• Video Link

[Busy Bee]

Just when you thought you'd heard it all...

[C.]

I'm flabbergasted. The Community Boards really need to be marginalized if they come up with this crap.

[chris08876]

Originally Posted by C.

I'm flabbergasted. The Community Boards really need to be marginalized if they come up with this crap.

Those clowns are just advisory. Remember the comments with Grand Hyatt? These folks don't know... they just don't know.

And it's all absurd suggestions to. For example, a developer wants to include subway improvements but these folks are more concerned about how the proposed tower is out of scale with the next door 70's bunker looking low rise.

Some CB boards have more neurons than others. Some of those CB meetings, you just wonder. They've probally been drinking some of that Gowanus Canal water.

There have been times that some of these meetings, some to their defense have made valid points but most of the time, you just wonder. The minute they start talking about character and out of scale, that's when it starts going down the STFU rabbit hole.

[MAC123]

I have never once understood what they are talking about when they talk about "out of scale", like what? Sure if someone is building a Megatall right in the middle of a shitty suburb (or you could call it a regular suburb, because they're all shitty) you could call that out of scale. But this is Manhattan. Was the ESB "out of scale" when they built it in the 30s and nothing else even came close to it? Were the Twin's "out of scale" when they were built in the 70s and still nothing but ESB matched their height? FFS.

[NYguy]

^ They're just against anything that isn't a change approved by themselves. It could be a one floor proposal, and they'd find something else about it to pick at.

[DeSelby]

I support this development, but I hope they find a way to save the Art Deco skybridge. I don't care about the hotel, the church, or the powerstation that the NIMBYs are up in arms about, but the skybridge is beautiful and should be preserved.

[MAC123]

Well if they do plan on demolishing it, they could always take the skybridge apart piece by piece and reassemble it somewhere else.
But that's more expensive and time consuming so I doubt it will ever cross their minds.

[k1052]

Hah the Meadowlands stub service is um not really good if MetLife is packed and LIRR seems to have little effort to not fumble service from Elmont for UBS. MSG sits on the best site for access to the entire metro's transit and the owners know it with only Barclay's as runner up. Real hard for the commuter rails to F up service to Penn or Atlantic plus all the easy access to NYCT. Any living human who's been to these places would find the argument absurd.

[NYguy]

https://nypost.com/2022/02/07/gov-ho...y-mayor-adams/

Adams backs Hochul’s $7B development plan around Penn Station

By Carl Campanile and David Meyer
February 7, 2022

Mayor Eric Adams is backing Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to use taxes from 10 new skyscrapers around Penn Station to rehab the transit hub — despite warnings from advocates that doing so would divert needed tax revenue from city coffers.

Adams’ office reiterated its support Monday for the controversial $7 billion plan, in which the state took control of a zone around the station in 2019 and declared it a slum, so that it could use taxes in the area to pay for the transit improvements.

”What’s it in the city? Nothing. The city got screwed,” said John Kaehny of Reinvent Albany, which is tracking the project. “It’s a giant gift for Vornado.”

Some fear that, despite spending so much on the station, the city won’t even get much of an improvement.

The mayor does not have a veto over the project; if the city signals its opposition, state law allows the Empire State Development Corporation board to advance the project by a two-thirds vote.

Empire State Development Corporation last week committed to addressing the concerns of city planners.

[JMKeynes]

MSG is such an eyesore. The Dolans are heinous trolls.

At a minimum, the creeps should reclad that PoS and put up video screens to conceal its horrific ugliness.

This place is HIDEOUS and is the worst arena in professional sports.

[BuildThemTaller]

MSG is quite nice on the inside. It's at least comparable to other NBA & NHL arenas in terms of amenities and fan experience. The renovations a few years ago were a vast improvement.

Hulu Theater needs to go.

[JMKeynes]

Originally Posted by BuildThemTaller

MSG is quite nice on the inside. It's at least comparable to other NBA & NHL arenas in terms of amenities and fan experience. The renovations a few years ago were a vast improvement.

Hulu Theater needs to go.

I think that Barclays is much nicer. I agree re: the theater though.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by BuildThemTaller

MSG is quite nice on the inside. It's at least comparable to other NBA & NHL arenas in terms of amenities and fan experience. The renovations a few years ago were a vast improvement.

Hulu Theater needs to go.

It's the outside appearance of MSG that people hate so much, as well as closing off Penn Station (part of it) to daylight. Both issues can be addressed by redesigning the current arena. The option of moving the Hulu Theater is still on the table.

[Raysiri]

I realized that every year, there’s the Billy Joel performances. It’s been happening since 1959.

[NYguy]

FEBRUARY 26, 2022

[Ahoi]

Per Mackensen

[NYguy]

More meetings to discuss meetings of future meetings about the meetings...



https://esd.ny.gov/esd-media-center/...n-neighborhood

Empire State Development Launches Series of Meetings with Community and Non-Profit Partners to Evaluate Economic and Social Conditions in Penn Station Neighborhood
Meetings Are Part of ESD’s Multi-Year Outreach And Feedback Effort Informing Governor Hochul’s Revitalization of Penn Station Area


February 25, 2022

Empire State Development announced a series of issue-based working sessions to understand the current social and economic issues impacting the neighborhood surrounding Penn Station, and identify innovative approaches to tackle these challenges. The meetings, which began yesterday following an initial kick-off session held in January, will continue over the next two months and are being organized in partnership with State Senator Brad Hoylman. The sessions feature facilitated discussions attended by leading non-profit organizations with specific expertise in the topics being addressed, and are part of Governor Hochul’s commitment to identifying targeted approaches to homelessness and addiction as part of the Penn Station Area redevelopment.

Governor Hochul last November unveiled her vision for a new commuter-first world-class Penn Station and revitalized surrounding neighborhood that reflects the community's needs and focuses on public transit and public realm improvements. The plan prioritizes the reconstruction of the existing station while the station expansion and the Gateway Project initiatives continue.

The neighborhood plan has been informed by ESD’s two-year community engagement and collaboration process, which included more than 100 meetings with local stakeholders, government agencies, and elected officials to improve on past plans and establish a new way forward. For comprehensive information on ESD’s work to date, please visit the Penn Station Area Civic and Land Use Improvement Project webpage.

In addition, Governor Hochul has committed to establishing a station advisory group focused on her vision for a new commuter-first world-class Penn Station. This advisory group will be convened in the coming months as design work resumes.

Meeting Schedule

Feb 24: Active Service Providers Meeting 1

Attendees: Breaking Ground, BRC, Urban Pathways, Goddard Riverside
Agenda: Near-term priority projects


March 3: Advocates Meeting 1

Attendees: MCC, Fountain House, CSS, Coalition for the Homeless
Agenda: Near-term priority projects


March 10: Health Meeting 1

Attendees: Ryan Health, CUCS/Janian, Housing Works, GMHC, MHANY
Agenda: Near-term priority projects


March 17: Social Service Meeting 1

Attendees: DPA, Center for Court Innovation, NY Harm Reduction Coalition, Housing Works
Agenda: Near-term priority projects


March 24: Active Service Providers Meeting 2

Attendees: Breaking Ground, BRC, Urban Pathways, Goddard Riverside
Agenda: Long-term projects needing investment


March 31: Advocates Meeting 2

Attendees: MCC, Fountain House, CSS, Coalition for the Homeless
Agenda: Long-term projects needing investment


April 7: Health Meeting 2

Attendees: Ryan Health, CUCS/Janian, Housing Works, GMHC, MHANY
Agenda: Long-term projects needing investment


April 14: Social Service Meeting 2

Attendees: DPA, Center for Court Innovation, NY Harm Reduction Coalition, Housing Works
Agenda: Long-term projects needing investment


April 21: Roundtable Review

Present assessments developed in small groups

[TonyNYC]

Hochul’s Penn Station revamp will take $5B from city, advocates charge


https://nypost.com/2022/03/01/hochul...nyc-activists/