Grand Central, grand plan - Metro-North Commuter Railroad plans renovation of New York's Grand Central Terminal

Railway Age,  June, 1990  by Jessica Stern

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New York's landmark Grand Central Terminal, which handles more than

half a million travelers daily, may be the subject of a major restoration and renovation project with an estimated cost of $400 million. The project is intended not only to improve the terminal as a transportation center, but also to restore and preserve the architecture and artwork, and improve the use of space for retail and cultural purposes. It could take nearly a decade to complete.

In 1988, Metro-North Commuter Railroad, which operates the terminal, commissioned a team of experts in historical preservation, utilities engineering, and retail development to devise the plan. That team included the architectural firm of Beyer Blinder Belle of New York, the Chicago-based architectural consulting firm of Harry Weese and Associates, and the engineering firm of STV/Seelye Stevenson Value and Knecht, in New York. The planning of the restoration will be in cooperation with the Grand Central Partnership, a nonprofit coalition of neighboring property owners and businesses, and the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Detailed studies were made, ranging from infrastructure to pedestrian traffic patterns and rush hour bottlenecks. These produced a comprehensive set of drawings, which are being used as reference points for the restoration.

"Metro-North's customers need and deserve a more welcoming environment," said Thomas E Egan, chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Metro-North committee. "They must have it if the railroad is to continue increasing its customer base. "

If the plan is carried out, $240 million will be spent on restoration of the architecture, artwork, and structural integrity of the building. Of foremost importance is sealing the building envelope from water, one of the primary causes of deterioration. * improving circulation. In an attempt to improve pedestrian traffic circulation, a new sky-lit atrium entrance will be built on Lexington Avenue, parallel to the Graybar building. Escalators within the atrium will connect the concourse and lower level. A staircase leading to the east balcony, shown on the original drawings, will be constructed. For 40 years this balcony has been hidden by a massive Kodak "Colorama."

Entrances and exits will be created at the north end of train platforms, so that commuters headed uptown don't have to walk south and then backtrack. This project is independent of terminal restoration, and the $70 million cost will be borne by MetroNorth's five-year capital improvement program.

Artwork to be restored includes the statue of Mercury flanked by Minerva and Hercules, on the building's 42nd street facade; the zodiac ceiling of the main concourse, which was covered over in the 1940s; and the transportation mural above the Graybar Passageway.

The remaining $160 million is earmarked for upgrading and replacing the utility systems, many of which date back to 1913, when the terminal was completed. The New York engineering and design firm of Carlson and Sweatt, P.C., with other firms acting as sub-consultants, is studying the electrical, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, fire alarm, and utility monitoring systems in great detail.

There are three electrical systems, none of which meets modern maintenance codes. Of the three, the 25 hertz system and the d.c. system are completely obsolete, and the 60 hertz system contains obsolete equipment. All three systems will be replaced.

The original steam and hot water heating systems for many years served the terminal and nearby buildings, but most of the buildings have been disconnected from the system, making it oversized for current needs. The ventilation system does not have smoke control capacity and is inadequate. The plumbing has deteriorated, requiring replacement of hot and cold water systems, sewage pipes, and storm drains, and rehabilitation and upgrading of fire pumps.

The consultants' conceptual design calls for a command center in the terminal for fire alarm and terminal monitoring systems, smoke control, and other safety systems.

Retail revenue will double. Plans also call for improving the quality and revenue potential of retail spaces within the terminal. Currently, annual retail revenue is $7 million, which Metro-North predicts can be doubled within five years. Retail space will be increased from 105,000 square feet to about 150,000 square feet. About a third of this space will be for restaurants and cafes on the lower level and in the incoming train room, the main waiting room, and the balconies overlooking the main concourse. Me remaining space will be for fast food outlets and retail establishments.

Metro-North is still not sure how the project will be financed. Some of the money, for necessary structural work, is expected to come from the capital improvement program. Private investors and corporate sponsorship are being considered, as well as fund raising activities similar to those which financed the Ellis Island rehabilitation.