Senator Charles Schumer announces the federal stimulus funds for Moynihan Station outside the Farley Post Office today.

One of MAS’ most urgent priorities for New York — the transformation of the James A. Farley Post Office to Moynihan Station – took a significant step forward today, when US Senator Charles Schumer announced that the federal government will award $83 million in stimulus funds to begin the first phase of the project.

MAS President Vin Cipolla welcomed the news. “With today’s announcement, the federal government is recognizing what the Municipal Art Society has long known, that the construction of a new train station is critical to the future economies of New York City and State. The new station will create construction jobs in the near term; improve the capacity of Penn Station and the whole Northeast Corridor; and, once complete, will be a catalyst for development on Manhattan’s far West Side,” he said.

“It was more than a decade ago that the Municipal Art Society began working with Senator Moynihan to conceive of a new station that would reclaim Penn Station’s lost grandeur and create a great new gateway into New York City,” he continued. “By awarding Moynihan Station this grant, the federal government is not only achieving its goals of creating jobs and improving the nation’s rail infrastructure, but also helping to create a station that will make all New York proud.” Continue Reading>>

Today, MAS President Vin Cipolla released a statement (below) regarding yesterday’s announcement by Senator Charles E. Schumer, Governor David A. Paterson and Amtrak president Joseph H. Boardman that an agreement has been made on the future development of Moynihan Station.

“After a decade of starts and stops, the future looks brighter for Moynihan Station. The agreement reached by Amtrak, Governor Paterson and Senator Schumer is a critical step towards expanding and improving the nation’s busiest train station.

The plans include moving many of Amtrak’s services into a new train hall that will be built in the James A. Farley Post Office, just across the street from Penn Station. While design details have not been released, the agreement furthers Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s vision for a grand work of civic architecture that stands as an inspiring gateway to New York City. With Amtrak as the primary tenant of the new hall, the station can be designed to support the needs of its intercity rail travelers. According to Amtrak, roughly 25% of the nation’s Amtrak passengers pass through Penn Station at some point on their journey. Continue Reading>>

The White House Office of Urban Affairs offers hope of a new direction in federal urban policy, including that for transportation. Public transportation is critical to a sustainable future for our city and the metropolitan region, essential to integrating housing, economic development, and environmental practices and policies.

What is the Obama administration doing that will help or hinder the development of the transportation system we need? How can local stakeholders ensure that the smartest investments receive federal support? An outstanding panel will answer these and other questions next Wednesday as New Yorkers face fare hikes and service cuts.

Investing in Infrastructure: Transportation and New York’s Future
Wednesday, May 6, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m., at the Municipal Art Society MAP
Reception to follow.
Moderator: Kate Slevin, director, Tri-State Transportation Campaign.
Panelists: Susan Bass Levin, deputy executive director, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Linda Bailey, federal programs advisor, New York City Department of Transportation; Jeffrey Zupan, senior fellow, transportation, Regional Plan Association; Martin Robins, founding director, Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center, Rutgers University.
$15, $10 MAS members. Purchase tickets online or call 212 935 2075.

Today the New York Times reported that Senator Charles E. Schumer has a plan to jump start work on the Moynihan Station project, by using some federal stimulus money to build a train station in the Farley Post Office to be used by Amtrak.

According to the Times, Senator Schumer is “calling for the injection of $100 million in federal stimulus funds to convert the post office building, expand the city’s transportation infrastructure and employ thousands of workers. Mr. Schumer also renewed his call for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to take charge of the project and asked them to invest $1 billion.”

MAS President Vin Cipolla today said, “The Municipal Art Society wholeheartedly supports Senator Schumer’s plan to achieve a new Moynihan Station. By dedicating federal stimulus funds to this project we can create near-term jobs while enhancing our mass transit system for the long term. Federal funding also enables us to protect the public’s interest in this project, creating a grand work of civic architecture that that stands as an inspiring gateway to New York City. This project has a real functional purpose; it will increase capacity and improve the experience for the nearly 500,000 people who move through Penn Station every day. Continue Reading>>

Internationally acclaimed architect David M. Childs has been named Chairman of the Municipal Art Society, succeeding the incumbent Philip K. Howard. Mr. Childs, who served as a design partner and Chairman of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, and has been a board member of MAS since 1986, will work alongside new President Vin Cipolla, a nationally recognized leader in the preservation, arts and business communities, who joined the organization in January of this year. Mr. Howard will assume the role of Chairman Emeritus.

“We are honored that David Childs will serve as Chairman of MAS as the organization enters a new phase of growth and influence in New York City,” said Mr. Howard. “He (Mr. Childs) is an urban champion, and, as Chair, will provide powerful leadership for MAS in its mission to achieve intelligent urban planning, design and preservation.”

“I am excited to take on this new role at MAS, which has been a tireless advocate for New York City and those who love it,” said Mr. Childs. “MAS has an opportunity to provide invaluable guidance as the city evolves to meet new challenges and to further establish its position as a model for sustainable urban development and living.” Continue Reading>>

Recently, we were asked the following question on our Facebook page “With all the talk about President Obama’s Economic Stimulus Package and its billions of dollars for public works projects, what’s happening with the Moynihan Station project?”

MAS remains a strong supporter of Moynihan Station. The project will increase capacity at the over-crowded (and miserable) Penn Station, which is the nation’s busiest transportation hub, with nearly half a million people passing through it every day. We don’t know whether the project will receive money from President Obama’s stimulus package, but it certainly seems to be eligible. Continue Reading>>

The bright sun reflected off the many new buildings of Melrose Commons in the South Bronx, as elected officials, activists, developers, friends, family, and other admirers gathered on East 157th Street to honor the memory of Yolanda Garcia yesterday. Third Avenue between 156th and 157th Streets is now known as “Yolanda Garcia Way.”

Ms. Garcia’s family owned a carpet shop in the Melrose section of the Bronx, where she was working in the early 1990s when she learned of a City urban renewal plan that called for displacing local residents and creating low-density housing. Incensed that those residents who stayed in the South Bronx despite decades of disinvestment were going to be displaced, Ms. Garcia founded Nos Quedamos/We Stay. This grassroots group was dedicated to rethinking the plan, including the community in the process, and preventing displacement. The resulting Melrose Commons plan helped to create over 1,500 units of affordable housing in the area, kept thousands of residents from being displaced, and even brought green building principles to the South Bronx. Continue Reading>>

On Monday, December 1, Community Board 4 held a public forum on the plans for the Eastern Rail Yards at Penn Station (the area of the rail yards between tenth and eleventh avenues and 30th and 33rd Streets). Related Properties presented their concept for the area, which abuts the Eastern Spur of the High Line along its Southern boundary.

Frank Sanchis, testifying for MAS, argued for the preservation of the Eastern Spur, which may be threatened by the development.

“Reference to a map of the High Line”, he said, “shows that its Northern segment (including the Eastern Spur) surrounds the Eastern and Western Rail Yards development, holding the entirety in its embrace and connecting the rail yards historically and visually to the southern segment of the High Line. This is just the way the MAS thinks it should be.”

The New York Observer interviewed Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert Lieber this week on the future of major development projects occupying the Bloomberg administration during its last year – notably Moynihan Station, Willets Point, and Coney Island.  Lieber suggested that while the City is trying to acquire more land at Coney Island, the major landowner Thor Equities is still vacillating on selling – in which case the City would proceed with rezoning. MAS testified that the City’s revised plan – which already reduced the size of the open-air amusement park to accommodate Thor – is too small for the needs of New Yorkers and would deprive Coney of living up to its potential at New York’s premier waterfront amusement and entertainment area.

In other news, Harlem State Senator Bill Perkins convened a hearing yesterday on reforming eminent domain laws Continue Reading>>

Last Friday, Governor Paterson announced his intention to move forward with the construction of Moynihan Station which will be led by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.  The Governor stressed that adding rail capacity and linking up the Station to other major transportation and infrastructure projects, as MAS has also suggested, were the most critical goals in moving forward.  Learn more about MAS’ response to the Governor’s announcement at New Penn Station.  To read the Governor’s full press release, click here.

This Wednesday, MAS will host “Coney Island at the Crossroads,” a panel on the City’s current redevelopment plan for Coney Island; read about the program on Kinetic Carnival.

In other news, the winners of the design competition to reimagine Grand Army Plaza have been announced. Continue Reading>>