The Grand Central Depot was originally constructed by a shipping tycoon, Cornelius Vanderbilt. The project was designed by the architectural firm Beyer Blinder Belle and the amenities were planned by William Jackson Ewing. The restoration project was carried out by GCT Venture, a joint venture between LaSalle Partners and the retail specialists, Williams Jackson Ewing. The estimated cost of the project was $425m, excluding the $160m invested in amenities and services within the station. Work began in 1996 and was completed in October 1998. “It obviously makes the businesses in Midtown East a more attractive destination for commuters from Long Island,” said Kathryn Wylde, the president of the Partnership for New York City.GCT renovation plans were announced in 1988. About 160,000 passengers are expected to hop on and off platforms at the new terminal.Ĭoupled with expanded service to Penn Station, the link to Grand Central would allow rail stops to open along long-neglected parts of the city, including the Bronx, spur new housing developments and serve as an economic engine. When full service begins to Grand Central Madison, the LIRR will add another 269 trains per weekday on top of the roughly 660 trains already in operation, officials said. Over the past week, the Long Island Rail Road carried about 1 million riders, or about two-thirds the number it transported for roughly the same week in 2019, according to statistics compiled by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. “Because this region has an interconnected network of transit, when you make an improvement, the beneficiaries are actually systemwide,” said Wright, whose nonprofit develops and advocates for ways to improve the regional economy, environment and quality of life. And it’s a tribute to the MTA that they were able to overcome what I would say was some delays of bureaucracy, delays of engineering,” said Mitchell Moss, a professor of urban policy and planning at New York University.ĭespite the setbacks, Tom Wright, the president of the Regional Plan Association, hailed Wednesday’s opening as a “driver of economic growth and prosperity,” even as the region “still faces urgent transportation, housing and resiliency challenges.” This is one of the greatest engineering feats. The new tunnels built for the project will also allow Amtrak to temporarily divert its trains to the new tunnels so it can begin refurbishing aging eastside tunnels and tracks. Many of the subterranean tunnels that carry rail passengers below the Hudson River are more than a century old, some of which are in need of deeper maintenance. Passenger Alexander Rodriguez, a 15-year-old Queens resident, described the inaugural ride as “nice and smooth.” “I don’t have to take the subways anymore.” “I’ve been waiting for 30 years,” said John Cannon, a Long Island man who was on the inaugural 21-minute ride from Jamaica, Queens, to Manhattan. For Long Island commuters headed for Manhattan, the terminal’s key benefit is the ability to take a train directly to the East Side, where previously the only option was to go to Pennsylvania Station on the West Side, then travel back by subway or bus. The station was to have opened by the end of 2022 but was delayed slightly by issues with heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
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