Plans Under Way for Transportation Infrastructure Projects

NEW YORK CITY-As a consulting team was selected for the $1-billion Farley-Moynihan Station Project, a group of residents voiced their opinions on how the remaining $1.2 billion in federal funding to revitalize the Downtown area should be allocated. The Empire State Development Corp. selected architecture/engineering/consulting firm HDR to provide advisory services for the expansion of the current James A. Farley Post Office building to link it to the current Penn Station. The public/private project includes a potential of 800,000 sf of retail/commercial space, 250,000 sf of postal related services, 300,000 sf of rail transportation improvements, and one million sf of air rights. The station is expected to be open by 2008. Other project team members include Washington Square Partners and Economic Research Associates.

And the John F. Kennedy International Airport’s new AirTrain service enters its final phase with construction of the modal Jamaica Control Center. The Port Authority is collaborating with Tishman Construction Corp., which in a joint venture with Bechtel Infrastructure, is serving as construction manager for the seven-story, 250,000-sf interconnecting terminal and office. This final phase involves building a mezzanine bridge, a segmented-arch, barrel-vault “portal” overhead and links to subways and the Long Island Rail Road.