Beginning in Malmö, Sweden 132 years ago, Skanska has grown to be one of the world’s largest leading project development and construction companies. In 1971, Skanska USA began its first New York project, the 63rd Street subway stop. Today, Skanska continues the tradition of building projects that shape and improve the lives of New Yorkers.
In 2017, Skanska USA and development partners Vornado Realty Trust and Related Companies were selected by the New York State Empire State Development Corporation to completely redevelop the existing James A. Farley Post Office and Annex Buildings.
The project will turn the Farley building—designed by McKim, Mead and White as a sibling to the original Pennsylvania Station— into the majestic Moynihan Train Hall, named after the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
The $1.6 billion project is part of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s large investment in infrastructure projects across the State of New York.
The train hall will be reinvented, five decades after the loss of the structure that initially existed. In a statement regarding the Penn Station complex’s expansion, Governor Cuomo said, ”For years there has been talk about transforming Penn Station, but no action, forcing New York’s commuters and visitors to endure congested and potentially unsafe conditions for far too long.
The projects currently underway, including a new, state-of-the-art entrance, will not only turn Penn Station into a world-class transit hub, but they will ease the flow for riders and improve the overall passenger experience for all who pass through.”
The Skanska team lowers the first glass panel into the midblock skylight at the Moynihan Train Hall.
Since September 2016, Skanska USA has demolished 6,000 tons of concrete and taken out about 800 tons of steel.
Skanska has completed the steel structure for the first of four vaults making up will provide natural daylight to the concourse hall through over an acre of glass.
Featuring a new glass canopy roof, as well as elevator and escalator access to all platforms serving the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Amtrak, the train hall will improve access for Penn Station’s 650,000 estimated daily rail customers.
Prior to this, Skanska also completed a predecessor project with the construction on the West End Concourse of Penn Station, which officially opened to the public in June 2017. The new concourse improved passenger circulation and capacity throughout Penn Station by expanding stair access to all train platforms. The opening of the new West End Concourse marked the completion of the first phase of the work to convert the James A. Farley Post Office building.
Now, the ongoing 1.3 million-square- foot renovation will include the new, 255,000-square-foot Moynihan Train Hall—a dramatic transformation of the original, century-old U.S. Postal Service mail sorting room. Featuring a new glass canopy roof, as well as elevator and escalator access to all platforms serving the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Amtrak, the train hall will improve access for Penn Station’s 650,000 estimated daily rail customers.
The Moynihan Train Hall will be similar in size to the Main Concourse at Grand Central Terminal, and feature transit, retail, commercial, and private development spaces. The renovation comprises demolition of the existing interior. The construction will include new structural and architectural elements, as well as the restoration of the entire historic exterior of the Farley Post Office and adjacent Annex Building.
Major features include creating new primary facilities for customers, such as ticketing, waiting areas, boarding facilities, and other amenities that will be connected to an improved LIRR concourse underneath 33rd Street. Also on the agenda is replacing mechanical systems to meet the needs of the new station and reconfigured facility.
The grand train hall will further help relieve congestion for the hundreds of thousands of travelers that will pass through the new Penn-Farley Complex each day. It will feature a modern design that is easily navigable and capable of handling a high volume of pedestrian traffic far into the future. The Moynihan Train Hall will be seamlessly integrated with the widened and improved LIRR concourse that Skanska recently constructed.
It will also combine 21st century passenger amenities and high-quality retail offerings to establish the Penn-Farley Complex as a world-class transportation hub. Skanska is proud to be leading the Moynihan Train Hall redevelopment as part of New York Governor Cuomo’s historic transformation of Penn Station. The grand train hall will make traveling to and from Penn Station easier, safer, and more pleasant for New Yorkers each day—and for generations to come.
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