NEW YORK—Madison Square Garden may have to vacate its current location in 15 years. On Wednesday, the New York City Planning Commission said that the sports and entertainment venue should continue to operate for a set period of time instead of in perpetuity, or indefinitely.
An opportunity to address Penn Station’s overburdened infrastructure arose when Madison Square Garden’s 50-year special permit to operate an arena on its current site expired in January. Penn Station, the busiest train station in the country, operates at three times its capacity and sits below the arena.
Amanda Burden, the New York City Planning Commissioner, said 15 years should be enough time for city, state and federal agencies to reach an agreement on a plan to relocate the arena to allow for expansion and modernization of Penn Station.
The decision must still be approved by the City Council, but Madison Square Garden has already said in a statement it is extremely disappointed.
The Garden’s fate is not sealed yet, though. A statement from the advocacy group Alliance for a New Penn Station, which is headed by the Municipal Arts Society (MAS), notes that there is a provision in the Commission’s recommendation that would allow an out from the 15-year lease.
The provision says that if Madison Square Garden were to strike a deal with the railroads that operate in Penn Station, they could get a perpetuity permit. According to MAS, a lease in perpetuity would only require the approval of the city planning department, and there would be no public review.
Burden said that “the best possible outcome would be a relocated Madison Square Garden.”
The decision follows a very public campaign led by MAS to design a more efficient, attractive Penn Station.
MAS has argued that improving Penn Station by modernizing and expanding it would prove impossible if the Garden were allowed to occupy the space in perpetuity.
“They’ve had a great stay,” said Mayor Bloomberg during a press conference at City Hall on Thursday. “But it is over one of the big mass transit centers in the city, and for the city to have the flexibility down the road of doing something, I think that’s important.”
Bloomberg was clear, though, that he wasn’t totally satisfied with the amount of remaining time they have, calling the 15-year lease a “lifetime.”
“Giving them 15 years is an awful long time,” added Bloomberg.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
