Let there be light in Penn Sta., gov says

Gov. Cuomo on Thursday revealed a fresh design for a shiny new glass entrance to Penn Station, the nation’s busiest passenger rail hub, which will bring natural light into its Long Island Rail Road concourse for the first time since the 1960s.

The 40-foot-high entrance will be at 33rd St. and Seventh Ave. — the location was announced last September, when a different glass design was shown to the public. Construction on the entrance kicks off in June, and Cuomo expects it to be completed by the end of 2020.

“It’s going to be beautiful and magnificent, and it’s literally the first time you will have illumination and light in that concourse in 50 years,” Cuomo said. The new entrance is a part of a larger $600 million project to widen the LIRR concourse by 27 feet.

The announcement also provided an update on the new Moynihan Train Hall, which is to occupy a renovated James Farley Post Office building across Eighth Ave. from Penn Station. by the end of 2020.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority crews are working to restore a roof made entirely of glass on the building, which will provide access to all of the station’s platforms and include a waiting area that will also be illuminated by natural light.

Cuomo highlighted the importance of renovations to Penn Station, noting it’s an essential transit hub for the entire region.

“Penn Station, everybody would agree, is not fit for the greatest city in the nation,” said Cuomo.