It's official: Penn Station is finally getting a massive upgrade-and Madison Square Garden is staying put

Amtrak and the Trump administration approved a plan to transform Penn Station while keeping Madison Square Garden in place. Penn Transformation Partners was selected to lead the redevelopment. The plan calls for a new Eighth Avenue entrance and a redesigned train hall, along with new concourses to replace cramped walkways. Track capacity would increase, including limited through-running on the regional rail network. Passenger experience upgrades and improvements to the subterranean structure are included. Madison Square Garden would also be renovated with a new glass entrance and an upgraded exterior. Groundbreaking is expected to begin before the end of 2027, while the overall project cost and completion date have not been announced.

"Officials announced the selection of Penn Transformation Partners, a dedicated developing team that is going to lead the massive revamping of the transportation hub. According to an official press release, the plan involves a grand new entrance on Eighth Avenue leading to a new train hall (perhaps one more akin to the beauty of Grand Central), new concourses replacing the current cramped walkways, increased track capacity-including the introduction of at least limited through-running on the regional rail network-passenger experience upgrades and an improved subterranean structure."

"Madison Square Garden is also going to be renovated: expect a new glass entrance and an upgraded exterior. What's perhaps most shocking is the timeline that was just made public: according to officials, groundbreaking is expected to begin before the end of 2027, which feels surprisingly soon given the scale of the project. There's no word yet on when construction is expected to wrap or how much the project will cost as a whole."

""We took over the transformation of New York Penn Station because the project was behind schedule, over budget and hopelessly mismanaged. One year later, we continue to hit major milestones at record speed," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy in an official statement announcing the news. "In selecting Penn Transformation Partners 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.""

Read at Time Out New York