Imagining Penn Station’s facelift

The Los Angeles construction firm Aecom is studying ways to improve Penn Station, Crain’s reported. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority recently contracted Aecom to conduct this study, which is expected to be ready by the end of the year.

The plan is called Penn Station Vision, and it is not expected to radically transform the station. That’s because the station is situated underground and only has so much space for expansion.  Rather officials are looking at ways to better use the space, which may include knocking down some walls and putting up better lighting.

The project will not be covered by the Moynihan Station project, which is valued at roughly $270 million. That proposal will expand Penn Station’s access to underground platforms, and will be paid for by the MTA’s next five-year capital plan slated to start in 2015. [Crain’s]