City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has announced her support for a 10-year limit to Madison Square Garden’s special permit to operate above Penn Station. This announcement is a huge victory signaling that the city is ready to take the leadership necessary to relocate the arena and begin the process of building a New Penn Station and the next Madison Square Garden.
The Speaker’s decision came the day MAS, concerned citizens and others testified before the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises to press for a 10-year limit to the Garden’s permit. Quinn indicated that she would eliminate the loophole that the City Planning Commission included in their recommendations last month, which would have allowed the Garden to remain in place in perpetuity if incremental station improvements were made.