Madison Square Garden goes before City Planning Commission in quest to extend permit

Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden went before the City Planning Commission Wednesday to try and secure a permit to operate indefinitely atop Penn Station, WNYC reported.

MSG’s permit expired in January. Opponents of the arena’s push to stay permanently at the Penn Station location want to give MSG a 10-year option that would give developers and planners time to brainstorm a plan to boost economic growth on the West Side. “It’s so important to be thinking about building a new Penn Station and not just making some minor and cosmetic changes,” Regional Plan Association’s Richard Yaro said at the hearing, according to WNYC. 

But supporters of the arena’s plans pointed out that the land is owned by the arena, and that this wasn’t the city’s decision to make.

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“I don’t know that the city’s going to be in a position to tell Madison Square Garden, ‘Sorry, we’re going to do without having an arena in New York,’” said Manhattan Assemblyman Richard Gottfried.

The commission will issue its recommendation on MSG’s proposal within six weeks, and City Council will then vote on the permit approval. [WNYC]  –Hiten Samtani