The Politics of Development: Moynihan Station and the Complexity of Major Public Projects

Nearly 400,000 people use Penn Station every day, twice as many as used it when it was built. In 1993, the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan proposed the conversion of the Farley Post Office building into a new Penn Station. Despite longstanding support from nearly every stakeholder, the project is only now ready to break ground 20 years later. What was behind the delays? Why are delays inherent to so many major public development projects? Are there lessons to be learned here for future planning? What are the prospects for the transformation of Manhattan’s far west side?

Remarks by: Timothy Gilchrist, president, Moynihan Station Development Corporation Christopher O. Ward, executive director, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Followed by a discussion with: Vishaan Chakrabarti, director, Real Estate Development Program, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation at Columbia University Anna Hayes Levin, commissioner, New York City Planning Commission and former member, Manhattan Community Board No. 4 Juliette Michaelson, senior planner, Regional Plan Association Tokumbo Shobowale, chief of staff, Office of NYC Mayor for Economic Development

Moderated by: Greg David, director, Business Reporting Program, CUNY Graduate School of Journalism

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This event was generously supported by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Additional support was provided by the Milano Foundation and the Sirus Fund.