Madison Square Garden received the shortest extension in the arena’s history, with The City Council unanimously voting on September 14 to give the venue only a five-year permit to continue to operate above Penn Station in Manhattan.
“At this time the Council cannot determine the long-term viability of an arena at this location, therefore five years is an appropriate term for this special permit,” said Erik Bottcher, a Manhattan councilman whose district encompasses Madison Square Garden. The arena’s owner, James Dolan’s MSG Entertainment, wanted a permanent extension of the operating permit, which expires this year, receiving ten-year permits in the past.
“A short-term special permit is not in anyone’s best interest and undermines the ability to immediately revamp Penn Station and the surrounding area,” MSG Entertainment said in a statement. The issue at hand is the ongoing tension between Penn Station and the Garden. There needs to be a creation of a transportation management plan to address “use conflicts” related to the arena’s loading operations on West 31st Street and pedestrian access, with MSG ordered to provide a plan within six months of its progress. If the venue fails to do so, they could have their operating permit revoked.
“I still believe that ultimately, we would be able to build the most extraordinary train station if Madison Square Garden was not there,” Bottcher said in an interview. “I’m still hopeful that would happen someday, but in the immediate term there are plans under consideration that would permit us to have a very extraordinary Penn Station with Madison Square Garden in place.‘’
For now, state officials are focused on a $7 billion renovation of the station, putting away a broader redevelopment plan for the area.
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