Sen. secures funds to expand Penn Station into 34th Street post office

The federal government will put $83 million into the $1 billion project that would extend sections of Penn Station into the underground space of Manhattan's central post office at 34th Street and Eighth Avenue.

The plan, first introduced by former New York Sen. Daniel Moynihan in 1999, will name part of the post office after the late senator.

Until last week no real progress had been made on the plan. But last Tuesday, Sen. Charles Schumer announced that he secured funding to get the project "up and running."

Although no designs for the station have been confirmed, Peg Breen, president of the New York Landmarks Conservancy, said the renovation will address current overcrowding and safety issues while providing a beautiful entrance into the city.

"Penn Station has rightly been described as a pit," Breen said. "Moving it is a better way of presenting New York to the world. The station will save a sense of character while providing a modern train service."

Not only does Breen think Penn Station lacks charm, she also said the current station lacks efficiency: "We are 130 percent over capacity. More people are going in than it was ever designed to hold."

The expansion is expected to relieve around 30 to 40 percent of the passengers.

CAS sophomore Pranita Sookai is hesitant about the project, as it may cause disruption to the only post office that is open seven days a week.

"The crowd has never bothered me, but I think taking the post office away will cause a lot of problems for New Yorkers in the area," she said. "It's unnecessary to change something that is such a fixture and has always been effective."

But Darleen Reid, representative for the United States Postal Service, said the expansion should not affect the post office or its services.

"The only areas affected are the underground and the areas that the people don't see," she said. "There will be no impact to any customers handling postal service. This transition will be seamless."

Construction is expected to start by the end of the year, but the future of the project is still uncertain, as more funding is needed.

Feiye Wang is a staff writer.