Penn Station rebuild: Trump admin chooses overhaul plan that doesn't move MSG | amNewYork

The Trump administration and Amtrak selected Penn Transformation Partners as master developer to lead rebuilding Penn Station. The team includes Halmar and real estate developer Vornado, which owns much of the land around Penn Station. Halmar is also involved in construction for the Second Avenue Subway’s East Harlem extension. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the selection brings progress toward a world-class travel hub. ASTM previously proposed a $6 billion Penn Station plan that would have built a new stone structure around Madison Square Garden, including two train halls and a mid-block hall. Few details were released about the selected proposal, and the procurement process has largely occurred outside public view. The selection followed the administration taking over the project from the MTA after legal disputes over congestion pricing.

"The Trump administration and Amtrak announced on Wednesday that they have chosen a so-called master developer to lead rebuilding Penn Station — a firm whose plan does not involve moving Madison Square Garden. They chose Penn Transformation Partners, a group that includes the construction company Halmar and the real estate developer Vornado, which owns much of the land surrounding Penn Station. The former firm, the American arm of the Italian company ASTM, is also leading construction on the Second Avenue Subway's East Harlem extension."

"In selecting Penn Transformation Partners (Halmar) and their innovative plan, we are one step closer to delivering a world-class travel hub that daily commuters and travelers have dreamed of for decades, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. ASTM previously floated a $6 billion Penn Station plan in 2023, which involved building a new stone structure around MSG. The enclosure would have included two new light-filled train halls with 55-foot-high ceilings as well as a mid-block hall between 31st and 33rd Streets with 105-foot ceilings."

"However, it is unclear how much the firm's selected proposal resembles its previous iteration, as the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) released few details on May 20. The move was apparently in keeping with a procurement process that has taken place largely out of the public eye. President Trump indicated to the New York Post last month that he was leaning toward the proposal that was ultimately selected this week. It had been reported that the president would have the final say over the decision."

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