Moynihan Station
November 28 News Release: “Civic, Business, and Elected Leaders Announce
Principles for Moynihan Station Prior to Hearing”
Moynihan in the News:
- NY Observer: Maura Moynihan in the Middle on Dad’s Penn Station Dream
(Nov. 5, 2007) Daily News: “Protect tax payers in Moynihan deal”
(Nov. 2, 2007) New York Times: “Protect Farley”
*(Nov. 2, 2007) New York Post: Bloomberg stands up to MSG on Farley move
The Conservancy has worked for more than a decade to support the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s vision of a great new train station for New York within the landmark Farley Post Office.
The announcement in May 2006 that developers are planning to move Madison Square Garden into the landmark has significantly delayed construction on the station.
The Conservancy has been at the forefront of advocating for a great train station that fulfills the public need and which Senator Moynihan’s legacy deserves.
The Current Situation
Despite the efforts of the Pataki administration to begin construction before the end of this year, the long-awaited and much-needed project was stopped by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. It is now up to Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer to push this forward.
Speaker Silver derailed the station in October, when he voted against the project in his role as a member of the three-person Public Authorities Control Board. Silver did this despite having money for Moynihan Station in place, and despite the Governor’s and developer’s assurances that beginning the train station would not hamper the developer’s wish for a larger project encompassing Farley and the current site of Madison Square Garden — the so-called Plan B.
Governor-elect Spitzer and Mayor Bloomberg both have reiterated their support for Plan B, which would move Madison Square Garden into the back of Farley. This would allow towers to be built where the Garden now stands, and the developers are seeking $1 billion in public money for improvements to the current Penn Station.
Our Stand
We recently published our official position.
Read our position here.
If Plan B moves forward, the Conservancy believes the public must be assured that two great train stations are built and maintained. This will require strong leadership from Spitzer and the people he chooses to lead the State Economic Development Corporation and the Moynihan Station Economic Development Corporation.
While the developers have publicly downplayed the importance of Moynihan Station, it is desperately needed to relieve overcrowding in the current Penn Station and would be the third busiest train station in North America.
Recent Rallying
The Conservancy sent an e-lert to our constituents early in July 2007 asking them to contact Governor Spitzer and urge him to keep the Post Office open and intact;keep the original courtyard walls in the train station; and keeping signage back from Eighth Avenue.
We have repeatedly written the Mayor and the Governor, asking for their leadership to begin construction on Moynihan Station.
To solicit support for our concerns over the Garden moving into Farley, we partnered with the Municipal Arts Society in June 2006 in an Op-Ed ad in the New York Times.
Conservancy President Peg Breen testified in May 2006 at a public hearing held by the Empire State Development Corporation and Moynihan Station Development Corporation regarding the general project plan. Breen attended in April 2006 a rally held by Friends of Moynihan Station in Washington D.C. to push for the work to begin.
