The Rise Fall and Rebirth of New York City's Pennsylvania Station - Part 2

The Farley Post Office

New Yorker's have never quite recovered from losing Pennsylvania Station. The city's mad dash to preserve any and all noteworthy buildings after Penn Station's almost criminal destruction, reflects the permanent scar left on the city's psyche. In the early 1990's, New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan floated plans to move Pennsylvania Station out of it's hole in the ground under Madison Square Garden. He proposed to relocate the Station into the Foley Post office, directly across 8th Avenue.


Senator Moynihan - Image via Wikipedia

Similarly to Pennsylvania Station, this wonderful post office was designed by the same architectural firm, Mckim, Meade & White. Like Pennsylvania Station, The Foley Post office occupies two entire city blocks, and is masterful classical styled building. The building features a grand, monumental staircase leading to a corinthian colonnade. Upon entering the Post Office, one walks through a large, vaulted ceiling main room which is exquisite to say the least. This amazing building is both on the National Register of Historic Places and a New York City landmark and rightfully so.


Post Office Interior

The building was opened in 1912 and the train tracks from Pennsylvania Station run underneath the Foley Post office prior to passing through the Amtrak tunnels under the Hudson River. This massive post office breas the famous inscription of "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds".

The plan for a new Pennsylvania Station floated by Senator Moynihan proposed to relocated Amtrack to the Foley Post Office as much of the functions of the Post Office have been leaving the building. A design by Skidmore Owings & Merrill's David Childs was released in 2001. This design was referred to as the "Potato Chip" design and featured an interesting, soaring glass train hall. In 2005 HOK released a second design for the station while Skidmore Owning & Merrill released a third design in 2006. Past scheme for this new Pennsylvania Station have varied widely even including the relocation of Madison Square Garden at one point. However, most recently the plans call for creating a new train hall in the eastern portion of the building and finding some sort of new use for the western portion of the building.


It is said that "time heals all wounds", yet time will most likely never heals the pain that New Yorker's feel over what was done to Mckim, Meade & White's Pennsylvania Station. Today we are still searching for a replacement. Our best hope remains "Moynihan Station".
Moynihan Station Rendering - Image via www.moynihanstation.org

In February of 2007 the Empire State Development Corporation purchased the Farley Post Office from the Postal Service. In the many years since the beginning of this proposal, Amtrack was going to move to the Farley Post office, then announced it would not and now intends to move again. New Jersey Transit and the LIRR are also looking to move into the new train stationAs of 2006 the projected costs of construction were to be $900 million dollars.


Coming Soon Sign

Whether or not this project will ever be realized remains a question mark. In my opinion, a tasteful, appropriate renovation of the historic Farley Post Office could make for a stunning new train station for New York, and in even the most pessimistic estimate will be better the the current dreary Pennsylvania Station. I certainly hope this new train station will retain the grand hall when one enters as a Post Office, otherwise the famous inscription on the facade of the building will seem sadly out of place. This new station will never heal the wounds of losing the original Pennsylvania Station, and New Yorkers will ultimately be forced to trade it's precious Post Office for a decent train station. It appears to be a trade that must be made. It is also worrisome that both the names of Pennsylvania Station and The Farley Post Office might disappear from New York in order to make way for "Moynihan" Station. The late Senator should be praised for his efforts in realizing this train station, however he does not deserve the naming rights.