Manhattan has been undergoing a recent transformation with sky-high buildings like One WTC and Hudson Yards going up. And more changes are to come. A community board voted to move forward with plans to redevelop Madison Square Garden, including two massive skyscrapers.
The project, which was initially proposed in 2016, would be designed by Vishaan Chakrabarti's Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) and turn the existing Madison Square Garden into a new concourse for Penn Station. A new sporting complex would then be constructed nearby between two towering skyscrapers that would soar over the nearby Empire State Building and 30 Hudson Yards, altering the skyline forever. Two shorter towers would also be added to the area consisting of residential and office units.
According to the proposal, Madison Square Garden would still retain its iconic shape but would have much of the arena interiors removed. This would allow for an open, 153-foot-tall, multi-level train station with a new glass curtain wall that would let light flood in.
Meanwhile, the proposed new buildings have fewer details. But they do show a total of four buildings anchoring the corners of a raised platform where the new entertainment complex would reside. In total, there would be 2,000,000 square feet of office space, over 500,000 square feet of retail space, 895,000 square feet of hotel space, and over 350,000 square feet of additional space.
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This comes as the new Moynihan Train Hall just opened, complete with a contemporary art installation, and other properties are being proposed as part of the area's redevelopment. This is in addition to the new Hudson Yards a few blocks west. The Chakrabarti build estimated to bring in $3 billion in revenue once completed to offset the high construction price tag. There is currently no timeline for the project.
