Readers Write: Who will pay to restore Penn Station’s glory?

The Island Now

How ironic that some elected officials are now talking about asking the owners of Madison Square Garden to move so they can restore Penn Station to its old pre 1960s glory.  

This coincides with the 100th Anniversary earlier this year of Grand Central Terminal, which first opened on February 2, 1913. 

Contrast this with the late, great Penn Station Terminal, which was destroyed in the name of progress in 1962. 

Fast forward, 51 years later. 

Penn Station is still a shell of its former glory. There is no natural lighting, decent food court, gourmet food shops, upscale stores or quality restaurants. 

Most Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit commuters rush in and out each day. 

Grand Central Terminal has high ceilings, natural light, a food court, gourmet food shops, upscale stores and great restaurants such as the Oyster Bar.  

Not only do Metro North commuters have a real terminal, but they are joined on a daily basis by thousands of people who work nearby and patronize the great food court, quality restaurants and stores. 

LIRR commuters just have a station. Few people who work nearby Penn Station stops by during the day to patronize any of its commercial establishments.

 Elected officials frequently don’t talk about the following issues ,which directly impact their ideas and proposals.  Many of the estimated costs for these proposed projects are based upon planning feasibility studies and or environmental documents with little design and engineering efforts necessary to validate any actual construction costs. 

They will be refined as projects progress beyond the planning and environmental phases into real and final design efforts. Value engineering which is a process used to reduce costs will be used during the final design phase. Unfortunately, history has shown that estimated costs for construction usually trend upwards as projects mature toward 100 percent final design. 

Progression of final design refines the detailed scope of work necessary to support construction. The anticipated final potential cost for many of these projects will never be known until completion. 

Costs will be further refined by award of construction contracts followed by any unforeseen site conditions and change orders to the base contracts during the course of construction.

History has told us that construction of most major new transportation system expansion projects has taken decades until completion of feasibility studies, environmental reviews, planning, design, engineering, real estate acquisition, permits, procurements, construction, budgeting, identifying and securing funding to pay for all of the above.

Who will find the billions to pay for a new Penn Station?.

Larry Penner

Great Neck

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