In an effort to repair the “substandard” Penn Station, the governor is trying to insert language into this year’s budget that would give New York state expansive new powers. | Matthias Rosenkranz/Flickr City leaders decry Cuomo administration’s ‘totally crazy’ Penn Station proposal

City leaders Wednesday condemned a last-minute attempt by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to claim the right to redevelop the neighborhood around Penn Station without having to conduct environmental reviews or abide by local land use laws.

New York City Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen said the proposal "allows the state to do anything they want within a very broad district," and is “totally crazy.”


“Can you imagine building four or five 100-story towers and not even doing a shadow study or a traffic study?” she asked in an interview Wednesday. ”You know, I’m not known as the biggest environmentalist in town, but Jesus Christ.”

In an effort to repair the “antiquated, substandard, insanitary” Penn Station, and its "substandard” environs, Cuomo is trying to insert language into this year’s budget that would give New York state expansive new powers to redevelop the area surrounding Penn Station. The proposal would enable the Cuomo administration to condemn, acquire or transfer property in the area surrounding Penn Station, without any legislated state or city environmental review, according to a draft proposal dated March 27 and acquired by POLITICO.

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who represents the area, was emphatic in his opposition to the idea.

“If this goes through, the state will be able to do whatever it wants, whenever it wants, in one of the busiest sections of Manhattan," he said. "We’re talking no environmental review process and zero input from New York City. It’s not fair to this city, which must be able to control its destiny. And it’s not fair to the public, who will be denied any type of legitimate review process. This plan must be stopped."

It’s not news that Penn Station is squalid and unsafe, or that its surroundings are unpleasant. Urban planners and developers have been trying to resuscitate the overcrowded, low-ceilinged station for what feels like ages.

In recent years, Cuomo has joined the ranks of those who’d like to see a better Penn Station. He’s redeveloping the post office across the street into a train hall for Amtrak and the Long Island Rail Road, which should free up some concourse space at Penn. And according to Glen, his administration had been engaging with city officials and other stakeholders “around a partnership to do something at Penn Station.”

It is partly thanks to the existence and content of those conversations that this last-minute proposal caught Glen off-guard.

“I’ve seen some of the proposals that the landowners and stakeholders in this district have put forth," she said, suggesting that they called for very large buildings.

Cuomo was asked Wednesday why he felt the need to override local zoning around Penn Station.

“Penn Station is in imminent need — it’s a public safety hazard,” he said. “You have 600,000 people there every day, we have a new age of terrorism, and Penn Station could be a dangerous circumstance if we don’t find ways to do more access and egress.”

Peter Ajemian, a spokesman for Cuomo, suggested the apparently day-old document had outdated information.

"Throughout the budget process, documents are exchanged hundreds of times over to advance solutions for New Yorkers," he said. "The document you’re basing your story on is outdated, inaccurate and not comprehensive."

Later in the day, Cuomo spokeswoman Dani Lever said the governor was acting within his authority.

"Our proposal is in accordance with all existing laws governing such projects in terms of planning, consultation with community leaders and elected officials, environmental reviews and local government reviews,” she said.

Glen suspects the proposal has something to do with whatever new revenue the state is able to wrest from the city as part of its "New York Pennsylvania Station Area Redevelopment Project," which would roughly span 30th to 34th streets, 6th to 8th avenues.

“It’s not just like all the money will go to Penn Station,” she said. “In theory, some money could go to Penn Station, some money could go to abate the taxes of office towers that feel like they deserve an abatement.”

"It's ironic because Penn Station is Exhibit A of what can result from the worst unfettered development," said state Sen. Brad Hoylman earlier Wednesday. "To repeat that historic mistake by shutting out local concerns is breathtaking."