Port Authority Bus Terminal: 5 Finalists for the New Design to Be Released Thursday

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — State politicians weren't happy with the Port Authority's new bus terminal process, but everyone involved seems to have come to a compromise Tuesday. New York and New Jersey officials agreed with the Port Authority on a new "expanded, comprehensive planning process" for choosing the design of the new West Side bus terminal, Port Authority officials and New York and New Jersey representatives said in a joint statement Tuesday morning.

"The Port Authority encourages all interested parties – commuters, neighborhood residents, business partners and other stakeholders – to provide their assessments, which will be reviewed as part of the planning process by agency officials," the statement said.

"We are pleased to see that the Port Authority has agreed to begin the kind of inclusive planning process for rebuilding the Bus Terminal that we have called for, and applaud the efforts of elected officials and stakeholders from both sides of the Hudson that brought about this agreement," Deputy Mayor Anthony Shorris said in a statement Tuesday. "As the Port Authority develops its plans for a robust public engagement process, New York City looks forward to being deeply engaged by the Port Authority in any further planning efforts around this essential trans-Hudson transportation project that is so vital to the region’s economy."

Several New York elected representatives had called for a halt to the Port Authority's design competition process in August because they felt there was no chance for input from the public or local elected representatives. Hell's Kitchen community members are also concerned that historic buildings and community centers are in danger of being demolished to make way for the new terminal, and want their concerns heard within the process.

Port Authority had trimmed the design competition down to five finalists in August and planned to choose the winner from those five in September. The five finalists' designs will be available for the public to see and comment on beginning Thursday at http://www.pabtcompetition.com.

The new Port Authority Bus Terminal competition website will also provide "a larger universe of planning options to be considered for replacing the existing obsolete and deteriorating 66-year-old terminal," the statement said.

Correction: Patch previously listed five designs that were being considered last year by Port Authority. The new five finalists will be released Thursday.

Top image by Hudconja/Wikimedia Commons/CC by 3.0; plans courtesy of Port Authority