Scheduled for April 28, the public hearing will take place atthe James A. Farley Post Office Building, which the plan aims toconvert into an annex to Penn Station across the street. Amtrak inFebruary signed a memorandum of understanding to move itsoperations into Moynihan Station, named for the late Sen. DanielPatrick Moynihan, and the project's first phase received an$83-million stimulus grant from the US Department ofTransportation. More recently, Skidmore, Owings & Merrillsigned a design contract in connection with the project.

As approved by the ESDC board, phase one of the Moynihan Stationproject will include $267 million worth of transportation-relatedimprovements to the below-grade rail infrastructure under theFarley building, including concourse expansions, an increase invertical access points to platforms and ventilation upgrades. Thesecond, more costly phase will entail construction of a railpassenger facility within the Farley building, only 20% of which iscurrently used by the US Postal Service. All told, the project isprojected to increase the number of access points for Penn Stationpassengers by 30% and open space within the station complex by50%.

Concurrent with the April 28 hearing and public-comment periodthat follows it, ESDC subsidiary Moynihan Station Development Corp.and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will conductcommunity outreach regarding the first phase of development. Afterreviewing public comments, MSDC will create a final GPP and finalenvironmental review. Pending the Federal Rail Administrationenvironmental review and approval by the state's Public AuthoritiesControl Board, construction on the project could begin thisyear.