The Grand Central Terminal subway station upgrade is finally complete after five years of construction work, “on time and under budget,” MTA officials said on Tuesday.
The work includes a new mezzanine floor to offer a more sprawling appeal and more space for commuters to traverse the iconic station.
“We tore out a lot of the old remnants of the office buildings and what was here before and created room for people to move around,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said during an Oct. 28 press conference at the station.
Workers also repainted the ceiling, laid 35,000 square feet of floor tiles, and added more lighting to the mezzanine by the 4, 5, 6, and 7 train connections in the station, which links the east and west sides of Manhattan.
“This is a great state-of-good-repair project, which is important for us to do to keep this 100-year-old system moving safely and reliably,” said Jamie Torres-Springer, president of MTA’s design and construction, about the overhaul.
Other station improvements include the replacement of 10 escalators and multiple elevators, painting 80,000 square feet of 7-line tunnel walls, new grouting to stop water infiltration and more security cameras.
The $700 million project was completed on time and $46 million under budget, Lieber explained.
“The reason we did all this is because there are 400,000 people who use this complex every day. That is as many as the entire BART system in San Francisco, which is sometimes talked about as a competitor to New York,” Lieber said.
There is also a new customer service center that is open 24/7 to assist tourists and commuters in navigating the transit system.
More retail and food
Retail is rocking in the improved Grand Central, too, with 83 of the 92 storefronts now open; the station’s dining concourse is 100% occupied.
“Over the past five years, the MTA’s commitment to this iconic building, which is in the heart of the neighborhood and in the hearts of everyone who has ever come through it, has resulted in a customer experience for commuters, residents and visitors in the Grand Central subway station,” said Alfred Cerullo, president and CEO of the Grand Central Partnership. “Dramatic improvements all around every day.”
Cerullo said more traffic is returning to the Midtown area since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Grand Central Partnership BID is at the lowest vacancy rate for retail since 2019, he explained.
“Not only are we seeing more pedestrian activity, an average of one million pedestrians each day in this neighborhood, we are seeing more pedestrians in the neighborhood on the weekends, even more than pre-COVID” he said. “People are using Grand Central to get in and out of this neighborhood.”
US Rep. Jerry Nadler, whose district includes Grand Central Terminal, said the upgrades will help improve accessibility and reduce overcrowding in the iconic station.
“Transit should be accessible to everyone,” he said. “And I am proud that with new elevators, wider passageways and improved circulation this project delivers the kind of modern, inclusive transit system our city deserves.”
