Renovated George Washington Bridge Bus Station Opens 2 Years Behind Schedule

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — The renovated George Washington Bridge Bus Station concourse opened for Tuesday morning's commute, signaling an end to one of Washington Heights' most troubled construction projects.

The renovation project was expected to cost $183 million and take one year to complete — it ended up taking three years and close to $200 million, officials said Tuesday. The development was a public-private venture between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and an entity called the George Washington Bridge Bus Station Development Venture.

"Long overdue in its completion, the GWB provides an alternative method of transportation for commuters coming into New York City and will serve as a crucial economic engine and viable transportation link to and from Manhattan," Congressman Adriano Espaillat said in a statement.

The new concourse will feature seating for 125 people, new Greyhound bus lines and greater handicap accessibility, officials said. Eventually the bus station — located on a two-block stretch between West 178th and 179th streets and Fort Washington and Wadsworth avenues — will be home to retail and community space, but none of those spaces have opened.

During a March 16 community meeting the developers behind the bus station came under fire for misleading small businesses that leased space in the new station. Due to the construction delays, small businesses have had to delay their opening by years, throwing many of the ventures into a financial hole. In addition to the delays, businesses were not able to start construction on their new locations while the bus terminal construction was underway.

City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez celebrated the opening of the station Tuesday, but said that Port Authority needs to come through on its promises to the community.

"Now that this station has reopened, the Port Authority and their developer partners need to make sure service is efficient and that community needs are addressed," Rodriguez said in a statement. "This includes the opening of the A train entrance, adhering to agreements with small businesses and the opening of space for community use."

During the March community meeting a spokesman for the George Washington Bridge Bus Station Development Venture estimated that some of the big-name retail stores could open in May.

Photo courtesy Port Authority of New York and New Jersey