Midtown West To Be Transformed In Major Redevelopment, Cuomo Vows

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Hundreds of units of affordable housing, an expanded Penn Station and a revitalized Port Authority Bus Complex are in store for the west side of Midtown in the coming years as part of an ambitious redevelopment, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday.

The project will "form a new, vibrant, exciting district" covering an L-shaped, 140-acre area of the neighborhood, according to Cuomo, who announced the plans as part of his State of the State address.

The project's core components will include:

• 14 new building sites being made available to create up to 1,400 units of affordable housing and 20 million square feet of retail
• Empire Station Complex, a major expansion of Penn Station that would add 40 percent more capacity through eight new tracks, as well as two new cross-river train tunnels through the Gateway Project
• Expanding the Javits Convention Center by 50 percent, or about 1.2 million square feet
• Replacing Port Authority Bus Complex with a new facility that adds commercial space and removes bus traffic
• A 1,200-foot extension of the High Line elevated park, running eastward through the Manhattan West housing complex and connecting to the new Moynihan Train Hall
• A second High Line extension heading north and connecting via a pedestrian bridge to Pier 76 on the Hudson River, which will become a public park once the NYPD abandons its tow pound there

Many of those projects had already been announced, like the Javits Center expansion, which will be done this year, according to Cuomo. Most of the other projects lacked a specific timeline for completion.

Some, like the long-delayed Gateway tunnel project, will require help from the federal government, but local leaders are optimistic that they will get it under the new administration of President-elect Joe Biden.

Other hurdles include purchasing an entire city block, as the state would need to do to add new tracks to Penn Station.

Combined, the Midtown West projects will cost $51 billion and could create as many as 196,000 jobs, according to the governor, who called it "a transit-oriented development on a scale never attempted."

Some reacted to Cuomo's announcements by questioning the state's focus on Midtown Manhattan, already a highly-developed part of the city.

"Hi from Southern Brooklyn's transportation needs," tweeted City Councilmember Mark Treyger, whose district covers far-flung neighborhoods like Coney Island and Gravesend. "Have we met?"

Related coverage:

• High Line To Extend Into Midtown To Moynihan Hall, Gov Says
• See Inside Moynihan Train Hall, Penn Station's Grand Addition
• 'Amazing': Cuomo Celebrates Hell's Kitchen Tow Pound Departure
  
• What Does The Future Hold For Hell's Kitchen's Pier 76?