If a Brooklyn developer gets his way, New Yorkers will soon hear screams coming from Penn Station.
No, not because of the soul-crushing decor, but due to a free-fall tower Brooklyn Capital Partners hopes to build on top of Madison Square Garden or the James A. Farley Building. The firm has proposed building a 1,200-foot-high ride called “The Halo” in order to help pay for the planned $3 billion redevelopment of Penn Station and the post office, known as Moynihan Station, the New York Daily News reported. The firm estimates that the ride could bring in $38 million annually. It could also attract as many as 7.8 million visitors to an already very busy area of the city.
“I think it’s going to change the tone to one of anticipation, excitement, the thrill of being in New York rather than the drudgery of being in Penn Station,” Alexandros Washburn, president of Brooklyn Capital Partners, told DNAinfo.
State officials have told the firm that the ride doesn’t conform to the request for proposals issued in January because the plan doesn’t include issuing a $15 million bond. It remains to be seen, however, if the design idea will catch on. [NYDN] — Kathryn Brenzel