Maryland Gov. Announces Groundbreaking on $150m Penn Station Redevelopment

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and other officials broke ground on Friday for the redevelopment project commencing at Baltimore’s Penn Station.

Source : governor.maryland.gov

October 22, 2021

Author : Alex Bustillos

The 110-year-old station has seen a significant upgrade since 1984, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott noted during the event.

Improvements will include office space on the top three floors with the addition of 30,000 square feet of office space above the main concourse. There will also be upgrades to Amtrak’s rail tracks, a new platform at the New Carrollton station, which serves both Amtrak and MARC between Washington, DC and Baltimore.

Penn Station’s platforms will also be renovated to include better access for those with disabilities. Inside the station, new retail stores and restaurants will be added to the concourse. 

The redevelopment of the station will come at a cost of $90 million while the remaining $60 million will go towards new rail lines and other upgrades.

“It has been 110 years since Penn Station opened and nearly 40 years since any kind of major renovation, which is why the State of Maryland was proud to invest in this project to help modernize Baltimore City’s most important transportation hub,” Governor Hogan said.

“When I think about how hard we have all worked over the last seven years to encourage economic development and to make Maryland open for business, this is exactly the kind of project that symbolizes just how far we have come,” he added.

According to the governor’s press release, Penn Station serves more than three million passengers every year.

According to Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn, Penn Station is the eighth busiest station in the United States. "We're here today to mark this milestone to transform this station into a premier rail hub," he said. "It's a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redevelop Penn Station."

The press release goes on to note that in June, Governor Hogan committed to working with the federal government and Amtrak to replace the 148-year-old B&P Tunnel in Baltimore City. “The construction of the new tunnel is expected to generate 30,000 jobs in the region, maximize train capacity, and allow for express train service in under 30 minutes between Baltimore and Washington, DC.”

As BizJournal notes, Amtrak owns seven vacant lots in Baltimore as well, so the improvements to the station could bring new development to other areas of the city as well. That would bring the total space developed due to the project to one million square feet; an investment of $500 million according to developers.

Category : Investment in Infrastructure State Government Public Works

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