Empire Station Complex, aka New York Pennsylvania Station

This article appearing in today's Times, certainly suggests that this project could well represent "the office's last stand".

Fair Use:

.In a bid to reshape Midtown Manhattan, Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York State officials are pushing ahead with one of the largest real estate development projects in American history: 10 towers of mostly offices around Penn Station, the busiest transit center in the country.

The buildings would help pay for the renovation of the dreary underground station, the reason officials have said they are seeking the additions to the skyline. But the plan is moving forward amid severe uncertainty gripping the office market: Many companies are trying to reduce their real estate footprint as workers continue to clock in from home

It appears that Amtrak, developers, and Gov. Hochul are all prepared to make such.

But first, I continue to ask, "what about the infrastructure - the stuff people don't see - needed to support such"?

Has Moynihan Station improved the overnight layover experience for travelers? Amtrak.com offered me an itinerary by which I would arrive at NYP well after dark, spend 5 hours there, and continue away in the morning. Once, upon a time, I had such a layover at Penn Station due to delayed arrival of the first leg. The first-class lounge was closed for the night. Amidst all-shuttered shops (even at that time evidently NYP's retail was not 24 hours), the station was a stadium-sized loony bin of difficult people lurching around, shedding fleas and shouting at (mostly) themselves or each other, testing the few actual travelers' alertness for hours on end. Hard-core, to coin a phrase. But Moynihan Station is probably not like that at all? They dim the lights, it's peaceful as you look up through the magnificent skylight, the plumbing works, staff come around every now and then with hot towels and mints?

Moynihan closes overnight between 1 and 5, and you have to use the loony bin next door.

Alexandros Washburn envisages "rebuilding Penn Station as the magnificent cathedral it was."

From the New York Post: This vision for brand-new Penn Station is what NYC dreams are made of (includes video)

Any updates on the renovation?

https://nypost.com/2023/03/09/hochul-ad ... ouble/amp/

Hochul admits plan to fund Penn Station redo with towers is in trouble
...
However, the MTA and Hochul are dreaming of a grander overhaul that would unify the station’s two main levels into one dramatic concourse and waiting area that would feature massive ceilings and more natural light.

They claim the renovation would restore some of the grandeur lost when the original Penn Station was knocked down in the 1960s and replaced with the current complex, which included the construction of Madison Square Garden above.

This is easily fixable: Rebuild the Hotel Pennsylvanian.

Seriously. You pulled it down, you get to build it back up again. Make small rooms cheap enough for travelers and to make a profit to repay any loans taken out to build it, because seriously, you’re going to have mainly solo travelers and you don’t need much to cater for them.

The Jane and Yotel hotels are good models, but I would lean (or maybe court) more to Yotel: Small rooms for 1-2 people, room service for food and some toiletries is done by robot (maybe strike a deal with DC/Marvel and have Yomier, Alfred Yewman, etc for a distinct NY comic flair).

Of course, you’d have convention space and dining suitable for the clientele. Gotta have standard hotel amenities.

The reason why I say it? Travel is going back up hard-core. People want to travel now to get out of the pandemic mindset. Let them.