Wednesday's Headlines: The Squared Circle Edition - Streetsblog New York City

Renderings depict a dramatic transformation of Penn Station, emphasizing long wooden benches and improved seating compared with Moynihan Train Hall and Grand Central Madison. The station’s dark, dingy character is linked to its 1960s era, when the original Penn Station was buried beneath Madison Square Garden. Outside appearances are viewed as better than worst-case possibilities, though a proposal to move the Garden is noted as an alternative. The plans do not include a real expansion, because columns supporting Madison Square Garden complicate construction. Federal aims focus on reducing crowding on at least one platform by removing some columns and adding access points. Financing is unclear, and lawmakers are criticized for potentially shifting costs to New York taxpayers while allowing Amtrak to acquire nearby properties to generate revenue.

"The renderings depict a dramatic transformation of the notoriously dark and dingy station, which dates back to the 1960s when the original Penn Station was buried beneath Madison Square Garden. They show rows of long wooden benches, a nod to the original station's seating and a departure from the lack of seating at the Moynihan Train Hall and Grand Central Madison, the city's two newest railroad stations."

"The bad news? A real expansion of Penn Station - difficult because of all the columns that hold up MSG - isn't in the Gothamist documents. "The plans obtained by Gothamist show the feds aim to address the problem on at least one platform by removing some columns and adding new access points to reduce crowding," the outlet reported, emphasis added."

"And, worse, nothing in Gothamist's story talks about how this will be financed in a way that doesn't soak New York taxpayers, a concern raised in our previous coverage. The same concern was raised in an Evan Simko-Bednarski story the Daily News foolishly buried on the Friday of the holiday weekend (and we picked up today)."

"In the latest twist, House lawmakers seem to want to squeeze blue New York while at the same time shirk their responsibility to properly fund inter-city rail by allowing Amtrak to acquire properties around Penn Station to generate revenue to pay for the station. But that's our tax money! Rep. Jerry Nadler said all the right things in voting against the amendment to the Build America 250 legislation, but the measure passed."

Read at Streetsblog New York City