Venable represented Amtrak in connection with the multi-billion-dollar redevelopment of the James A. Farley Post Office Building in Manhattan as the new Moynihan Train Hall transportation hub, including the negotiation of the development agreements, construction contracts, and condominium documents.
The new facility, which began operating on January 1, 2021, expands Penn Station's concourse space by approximately 50%. It includes retail and office space and a train hall to be used by Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) passengers. Amtrak collaborated with Moynihan Station Development Corporation (a subsidiary of Empire State Development), the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), LIRR, and Vornado Realty Trust to bring this ambitious project to fruition.
Venable attorneys began advising Amtrak on this complex multiphase development in 2010. The project necessitated close coordination and negotiations with government authorities and advising on complex title matters, the formation of a commercial condominium, and myriad construction and operational logistics associated with this development.
The Venable team included Suzanne St. Pierre, Sue Golden, Michael Phillipou, Gordon Davis, and John Walsh.
The opening of Moynihan Train Hall was covered by the New York Times, Politico, Crain’s New York Business, Bloomberg, NBC New York, and the BBC, among others.