Newly leaked design documents for the long-awaited reconstruction of New York’s Penn Station reveal a sweeping transformation of the transit hub into a grand, monument-style complex featuring gold accents, towering classical architecture — and even a marble presidential seal bearing President Donald Trump’s name.

Architectural renderings and engineering materials obtained by Gothamist show plans for a dramatic redesign of the nation’s busiest rail station, replacing the cramped and aging facility with expansive halls, soaring ceilings, oversized staircases, brass-colored railings, and massive columns inspired by the grandeur of the original Beaux-Arts Penn Station demolished in the 1960s.

One feature in particular is already expected to trigger political controversy.

Near a proposed Eighth Avenue entrance, the plans include a presidential seal alongside the inscription “President Donald J. Trump” carved into a stone wall inside the station.

The tribute is positioned near escalators leading into a newly designed concourse filled with natural light in the area currently occupied by the Theater at Madison Square Garden.

The federal government took control of the Penn Station redevelopment project away from the MTA last year, handing oversight to Amtrak.

Since then, Trump has pushed aggressively to speed up the overhaul and ordered that construction begin before the end of 2027.

Last week, the administration committed $8 billion toward rebuilding the station, while sidelining the MTA over what federal officials described as years of delays and mismanagement.

The selected development proposal came from Penn Transformation Partners, a consortium made up of Vornado Realty Trust, construction firms Halmar and Skanska, along with multiple architectural and engineering groups.

Vornado is led by Steve Roth, a longtime ally of Trump, while Halmar executive Peter Cipriano previously served as an adviser at the U.S. Department of Transportation during Trump’s first administration.

The consortium was officially chosen last week by Amtrak and the U.S. Department of Transportation following a bidding process that New York officials criticized for lacking transparency.

Internal documents reportedly show that Amtrak specifically requested a “classical look” for the redesigned station, leading architects to significantly revise earlier concepts unveiled in 2023.

Among the revised elements is a giant gold clock hanging from the ceiling of the main train hall, resembling the prominent clock currently displayed inside Moynihan Train Hall.

The redesign also aims to solve one of commuters’ biggest complaints for decades: the lack of natural light inside Penn Station.

According to project documents, only about 3,400 square feet of the current station receives daylight.

The proposed overhaul would expand that figure to more than 55,000 square feet by adding enormous glass entrances, higher ceilings, and new window openings around the Madison Square Garden complex.

One of the most dramatic changes would take place along Eighth Avenue, where the Theater at Madison Square Garden would reportedly be demolished to make room for a massive new entrance hall.

Additional entrances are also planned along West 31st Street, while new windows would be added to the existing taxiway between Madison Square Garden and neighboring structures.

Inside the station, the changes would be equally dramatic.

Some ceilings would rise as much as 50 feet, while the notoriously cramped 32nd Street corridor would gain an additional 20 feet in height.

Long wooden benches modeled after the original Penn Station would replace the limited seating that has frustrated travelers at modern transit centers such as Moynihan Train Hall and Grand Central Madison.

The proposal is also designed to accommodate future rail expansion connected to the Gateway tunnel project beneath the Hudson River, which is expected to open around 2035.

Amtrak said the redesign would permit limited “through-running,” allowing NJ Transit and Long Island Rail Road trains to continue traveling through Penn Station instead of terminating there.

Transit critics have long warned that Penn Station’s narrow platforms create dangerous crowding during rush hour, especially because structural support columns from Madison Square Garden reduce passenger space.

However, internal plans reviewed by Gothamist reportedly include removing some columns and adding new access points intended to ease congestion.

The project would also require major property acquisitions from Madison Square Garden and its CEO, James Dolan.

According to the leaked documents, the federal government would need to acquire the Theater at MSG, portions of the arena’s exterior façade, signage, loading areas, and sidewalks along 31st and 33rd Streets.

Trump himself has denied personally proposing the redesign, while Kathy Hochul has publicly rejected the concept outright.

Federal officials have declined to comment publicly on the leaked materials.

Amtrak stated that its current focus is securing permits and finalizing contracts ahead of construction.

{Matzav.com}