Vornado Realty Trust is celebrating the completed transformation of a portion of West 33rd Street into Plaza33, a permanent pedestrian plaza in the heart of the Penn District, with a ribbon cutting on June 24.
Developed through a public-private partnership with the NYC Department of Transportation, the 1/3-acre promenade boasts mature trees, lush landscaping, circular stone benches and colorful chairs and tables. Sitting directly above Penn Station’s new LIRR Concourse, Plaza33 is an oasis for the surrounding neighborhood and a new connection to transit, nearby amenities and office buildings.
Plaza33 is the centerpiece of a $65 million project by Vornado to make the streetscape around Penn Station safer, greener, more accessible and more pedestrian-friendly. In addition to the plaza, Vornado has partnered with the NYC Department of Transportation to replace one-half mile of concrete sidewalks across the District with distinctive Petit Granit stone pavers, and to double the width of the crowded Seventh Avenue sidewalks that border Penn Station, the nation’s busiest transit hub.
The Plaza features 16,000 square feet of reclaimed public space for pedestrians; five mature October Glory maple trees; a connection to the newly renovated East Plaza at Penn 1, the recently completed grand entrance to Penn Station’s all-new LIRR Concourse and the new ADA-compliant Amtrak entrance at 32nd Street; special programming provided through the 34th Street Partnership and new food and beverage offerings in adjacent retail space curated by Vornado that serve a wide range of budgets and tastes, including soon to open Roberta’s Pizza, Los Tacos No. 1 and Anita Gelato.
