Moynihan Station: New York's Largest Adaptive Reuse Project

On November 9, 2011, the NYC Materials Exchange Development Program (NYC MEDP) toured the Farley Post office, the site of the future the Moynihan Station. The development of this project, which will move Amtrak service from the current Penn Station to the post office building, constitutes a major adaptive reuse effort in NYC. “The Moynihan Station would involve the renovation of the Farley Post Office Building in West Midtown,” explains Bronson Fox, Vice President of the Moynihan Station Development Corporation (MSDC). “The station, while not replacing Penn Station, would provide a new train hall for Amtrak and increased access to existing facilities under Penn Station, particularly the Amtrak tracks.”

The exterior of the Farley Post Office, as well as the front lobby, are protected historical landmarks and will be preserved in the project, while the rest of the interior will be heavily redesigned to allow quick access to the Amtrak station below ground. The above-ground space will also be largely designated as commercial space, specifically mixed retail. In addition, the proposed project will include an East/West pedestrian access route, allowing access to 9th Avenue directly from the public train hall. When finished the space will include approximately 350,000 sq/ft for the future train station; 850, 000 sq/ft of commercial space; and 250,000 sq/ft for the renovated post offices.

“As the project itself is still being defined, discussions on the topic of deconstruction and materials salvage have not begun,” explained Mr. Fox. However, in our view, the project would provide a solid opportunity for properly recovering and incorporating reusable materials, such as copper roofing and marble. Thanks to the longstanding efforts of New York State, the old Farley Post Office has the potential to one of New York’s major reuse success stories.