Christopher Rizzo and Karen Meara, Carter Ledyard & Millburn.
Readers do not need another lesson on the tragic history of Penn Station—including the Pennsylvania Railroad Company’s decision to demolish the Beaux Arts masterpiece in 1963 in favor of a subterranean train station covered by a new stadium and office tower. The decision sparked public outcry and New York City’s adoption of its Landmarks Preservation Law in 1965. Public interest in restoring the station (and getting rid of the stadium—now called Madison Square Garden [MSG]) has never died down.
It has reached a fever pitch in the past decade. The state’s opening of the acclaimed Moynihan Station across the street in 2021, serving mostly Amtrak riders, has only served to underscore just how unacceptable the underground Penn Station is.
