Long Island Construction Law does not own this content. This content was created by Steve Cuozzo, and was published to the New York Post on December 3rd, 2022. To view the full article, please click here.

One month ago, I wrote a column praising London and its leaders for the blue-sky thinking that led to the historic preservation of the beautiful new Battersea Power Station. Once a derelict industrial plant, it is now a multipurpose miracle of shops, parks and Apple’s European headquarters, all breathing fresh life into the city.

I also lamented that, when it comes to dreaming big, New York City has run out of steam. We can’t even finish rebuilding the World Trade Center, let alone transform a decayed, machine-age structure into a gleaming modern gem for vibrant public use.

Not long after, I heard from Brooklyn-based architect Alexandros Washburn, a passionate lover of the city who was Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s head of design. He’s long advocated for “rebuilding Penn Station as the magnificent cathedral it was,” as he wrote in a 2021 essay.

Washburn told me he has a Big New York Idea. He has even drawn up the plans. They are so inspiring I wanted to share them with you, here in these pages.

The building is Penn Station. Even with construction work going on now to improve it, the transit hub remains a subterranean horror show. The endless, ongoing, inch-by-inch “transformation” of entrances and corridors has only made the underground maze harder to navigate than before.

Right now, our government’s plan for a “New Penn Station,” if Gov. Hochul gets her way, is to tear down the surrounding neighborhood, destroying hundreds of people’s homes by eminent domain and constructing giant new office skyscrapers in their place. It’s a terrible, corrupt $22 billion scheme nobody wants — unless you’re one of the governor’s wealthy real-estate donors.

Washburn’s idea comes from a different planet.

His dream is to reflect the style and spirit of the original, beloved McKim, Mead & White masterpiece opened in 1910 that was unconscionably demolished in 1964. More than a much better station, his plan opens up optimistic possibilities for the mostly charmless West 30s between Seventh and Ninth avenues.

The original station’s colossal Concourse would be reconstructed in an airier form, as much as today’s technology allows. It puts the public — not real-estate companies — first, with an open-to-all, street-level lawn as large as Bryant Park and an exciting array of community amenities. It puts the station, the nation’s busiest with 600,000 daily users, ahead of speculative real estate development for which there is little or no demand.

To view more of the article’s highlights, please click here.

John Caravella Esq., is a construction attorney and formerly practicing project architect at The Law Office of John Caravella, P.C., representing architects, engineers, contractors, subcontractors, and owners in all phases of contract preparation, litigation, and arbitration across New York and Florida. He also serves as an arbitrator to the American Arbitration Association Construction Industry Panel. Mr. Caravella can be reached by email: John@LIConstructionLaw.com or (631) 608-1346.

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Long Island Construction Law does not own this content. This content was created by Steve Cuozzo, and was published to the New York Post on December 3rd, 2022. To view the full article, please click here.