Overview
- Reports published Thursday said Trump reviewed the Grand Penn plan in a previously undisclosed September Oval Office meeting and is taking it seriously without endorsing it.
- The $7.5 billion proposal would shift Madison Square Garden one block to Seventh Avenue and rebuild the transit hub with classical columns, a glass roof, and a new plaza in place of the current arena.
- Amtrak and the U.S. Department of Transportation now control the overhaul, with three finalists under a gag order and a master developer due to be named in May, which has prompted local calls for transparency.
- Any move depends on approval from arena owner James Dolan, who has repeatedly opposed relocating the Garden.
- Penn Station serves about 600,000 riders each day, and construction could start in late 2027 if the federal team selects a developer this spring.