Submitted by Benjamin Hemric, Sep 21, 2007 13:39

As the article mentions, the State of New York is "considering a plan for a comprehensive reconstruction of Pennsylvania Station that would "sprinkle" 4.5 million square feet of development rights . . . in the surrounding area." No mention is made, however, regarding the fate of the 33rd Street right-of-way through the site.

Just as important to the future of the area -- if not more so -- would be for the state (or the city) to get back the 32nd St. right of way, as it will no longer be needed once Madison Square Garden is no longer there. (It was originally sold -- or perhaps leased -- to the Pennsylvania Railroad to allow the railroad to build the original McKim Mead and White designed, two-block wide, Pennsylvania Station.) Is this right-of-way already part of the state's plan? If not, why not?

Even better yet would be for the state (or the city) to add (or get the redeveloper to add) a small north-south street between 33rd St. and 31st St., a la Rockefeller Center's "Rockefeller Plaza" (which is the name of the Rockefeller Center's three-block long private street). As Jane Jacobs has pointed out, such additional streets can go a long way towards adding to the urbanity of a district. And not only does it make the area more urbane, it also greatly increases the amount of lucrative prime retail frontage in the area (as the area then has more corner retail spaces and even mid-block storefronts are closer to a street corner).

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