Cuomo outlines Penn Station overhaul

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - For commuters who believe Penn Station needs a major makeover, the governor agrees that something needs to change. Andrew Cuomo said the station is the most traveled in the Western Hemisphere with nearly 650,000 people daily but the cavernous design is simply outdated.

The Cuomo Administration is soliciting proposals and laying out 5 plans for a new facility called the Empire State Station. Options range from closing off 33rd Street, adding skylights for the concourse below, to creating a grand entrance at 7th Avenue.

Another key piece of the development is removing the Amtrak waiting area and creating a grand train hall inside the Farley post office across 8th Avenue and eventually connecting the two facilities. A final option could mean the removal of the Theater at MSG to create a new entryway and commercial space. Madison Square Garden Executive Chairman James Dolan said he is game.

The project would be the centerpiece of several transit projects across the state, including the creation of the new Tappan Zee Bridge and the overhaul of LaGuardia Airport. Cuomo is confident that his vision will succeed where several elected leaders -- including his own father -- have tried and failed before.