Dream big to restore Penn Station's glory

In the day-to-day turmoil of New York politics, Penn Station is a seemingly unfixable puzzle. Still wounded by the destruction of this magnificent gateway — 60 years ago, now! — we grapple on a yearly basis about the miserable, subterranean transit hub that took its place, and which dehumanizes us every time we venture in or out.

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s announcement that she will scale back her predecessor’s ill-considered plan to revamp the station and its environs is the newest twist in this saga. Her focus on improving the station itself and scaling back some of the towers designed for the surrounding area — even if the reduction is only 7% — is spot-on.

But she could do more. We all need to stop thinking about Band-Aid solutions, and create a holistic vision. Let’s be ambitious: What is the best thing we could do with this space, no matter how monstrous a task it may be? Then let’s find ways to make it happen.

The governor could harness the winds of goodwill blowing at her back to create not only a train station, but a much-needed public space that would benefit all New Yorkers, not just Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road passengers.

I’ve long advocated for rebuilding Penn Station as the magnificent cathedral it was. It’s an easier task than you might think: The original station wasn’t destroyed, it was decapitated, so much of the foundation and train infrastructure remains in place. But that should only be the beginning.

Public investment in public spaces not only raises our spirits and improves our lives, it’s also good business. Take Bryant Park and the High Line, two wonderful public spaces that have improved lives and government coffers.

For decades, the park behind the New York Public Library was a nest of crime and addiction. In the late 1980s, a private-public partnership was formed to rebuild it. Bryant Park was a smashing success. That made the surrounding buildings suddenly desirable. Rents and values went up. And real estate taxes paid to the city went up. The new $1 billion Bank America Tower on the park’s southwest corner surely never would have been built otherwise.

Then there’s the High Line, an old elevated trainline turned into a narrow, aboveground park filled with wonderful design touches and thriving vegetation. The area around it was transformed, new buildings abounded, new real estate taxes are being paid. The public loved the High Line so much that new stages were quickly funded and built.

Let’s use these locations as our inspiration for Penn Station.

Creating a massive open indoor space filled with restaurants and other amenities — and places for folks to sit and relax and enjoy the beauty of the moment — will make it a magnet. Why not take a page from Changi Airport in Singapore, which features a waterfall and a rainforest? Rather than erect all those towers now, why not build a grand old-and-new train station first, then let real estate values rise around it? Civics pays better than developer handouts. And why not connect the High Line directly to the front door of Penn Station so visitors arriving by train from Chicago or Massapequa can step directly into a … forest.

Yes — moving Madison Square Garden is a challenge. But before we face that reality, let’s let our imaginations run wild.

This guest essay reflects the views of Alexandros Washburn, chief urban designer for New York City under Mayor Michael Bloomberg.