I'd be all down for tearing down the Penn Plaza complex...be it not for the very real possibility that such a move would create a parking lot that'd last for a decade before anything got built on it.

Same, I honestly find it pretty drab and ugly, but man, the area around Penn Station does not need another giant asphalt wasteland.

Since NJTransit owns it outright now, I can't help but wonder if they would consider selling it to a developer with renovation/retrofitting/conversion to something else within a certain period of time as a condition of the sale?

either way, at least Gateway Center should see more foot traffic now.

I was thinking a conversion might be a good use for the building. Another opportunity for more TOD.

Can’t forget Horizon BCBS (largest insurance company in the state) still occupies 3 Penn Plaza. I think these buildings are reasonably attractive actually. I don’t have any issue with them.

This will be a very attractive residential development site. Right next to Penn Station, Hugh rise zoning, riverfront views. This is the natural result of WFH: office tenants consolidate into the best buildings and older or less attractive office buildings are converted or redeveloped into something else.

NJ transit said in the article that they balked in part due to the $100M est price tag to renovate and the fact that it would have to be done in stages over several years while they were still occupying the building. Developers may be more willing to shell out the former if they don’t have to worry about the latter.

Converting offices to housing is very expensive since the floor plans and building layouts are dramatically different, but I have to imagine it’s still cheaper and quicker to renovate an existing building near a major historic train station and a riverfront rather than raze and rebuild on the same site given potential environmental and transportation concerns/red tape.

Hell even if someone came in and basically tried to make it a “Gateway Center South” that would still be a dramatic improvement IMO.

They’re not inherently bad, but they’re definitely in need of an update and to be more plugged in with the street level of the city. Theyre still definitely built with a “fortress” like mentality in mind. Even something like what Onyx did with Gateway Center would go a long way here.

If its something where there could be a reasonable return on investment, its possible.

Put the Newark Penn station homeless in there

I'd love if they converted it into something...anything we don't have to wait years and years for...

Its always been embarrassing that NJT is headquartered in a building thats like 50% giant parking garage

It's sad they did it like that. It's the same color as the Frank Lautenberg Secacus Juntion. The redeeming quality is the entranceway with the vertical art deco flair. This aligns with the transit wing at NY penn and the waiting room in Newark penn.

Horizon still next door and definitely still putting in office attendance. The Dunkin'is still open too.

They're moving to Gateway 2 which is like 5 minutes away but in a much much much better area as it's connected to the gateway concourse and Penn Station