The battle over Penn Station's redevelopment with Claire Read

Penn Station has long been more than just a transit hub — it’s a mirror of New York itself: ambitious, messy, and perpetually under construction. Decades after the original station opened, financial troubles forced its owners to sell the air rights above, paving the way for Madison Square Garden. Now, the station is poised to embark on a new chapter of redevelopment.

In this episode, host Kate Gasparro sits down with documentarian Claire Read to discuss her film Penn F---ing Station, which traces years of high-stakes political maneuvering, community resistance, and evolving design visions for the station’s renewal.

After years of gubernatorial leadership shaping the project, the Trump administration has recently stepped into a lead role — placing Amtrak and the U.S. Department of Transportation in control.

Together, Kate and Claire explore how local dynamics, often kept off the national front page, ultimately determine how major projects come together. They unpack what this new federal intervention means for power, accountability, and the long-term trajectory of the project — and how documenting Penn Station’s evolution reveals broader truths about who builds cities, who shapes their futures, and how the local and the national collide in urban development.

Resources:

Trump administration takes control of $7B Penn Station redevelopment (Construction Dive)

When Penn Station Was a Masterpiece (The New York Historical)

The Gods of Times Square (IMDB)

Penn Station advocates to submit their own redevelopment plan (City & State New York)

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