Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Form or Function at the Fulton St. Transit Center
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 28, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 28, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
First rule of Fulton Street Transit Center: Nothing will go as planned. Back in 2004, the MTA unveiled designs for the new Fulton Street Transit Center, which would have included a towering steel-and-glass dome (the "oculus") AND connections between many different trains lines, providing easier transfers for subway riders.
But in 2005, the MTA said the project would be delayed and scaled back (smaller dome, shorter hallways between lines) and then earlier this year, the MTA said it would have to scale back the plan even more due to the rising cost of acquiring neighboring buildings. Now, the MTA has gone so over-budget that it may consider not completing a connection between the R/W at Cortlandt and the E train at World Trade Center. From NY1: "Without that connection, passengers could still transfer underground via the PATH station, but no free transfer."
Which has the MTA's board in arms. The NY Times reports board member Barry Feinstein as saying, "I won’t support a project like this that is going to discombobulate tens of thousands of passengers a day because you want to have a fancy roof." The station is already costing $847 million (over the planned $750 million), but another $15 million is needed for the R/W and E connection.
The a 50-foot version of the oculus would have cost $180 million, but now a 20-foot version will cost $130 million. Chairwoman of the MTA's Capital Construction and Planning Committee Nancy Shevell Blakeman also said, "There has been a recurring theme among my board members that we don’t want a fancy building and a fancy roof. We are not building cathedrals here."
The president of the MTA's Capital Construction Company, Mysore Magaraja, said that engineers would try to find a solution, but emphasized the lack of money because the budget can't be increased. We have to side with the board members - we'd like a beautiful subway station, but we'll gladly take a humdrum subway station with good accessibility between many lines.
Here's the MTA's page about the Fulton Street Transit Center. Another fun fact: Originally $50 million was set aside for acquiring real estate - but now that cost has grown to $157 million.
Tagged
Barry Feinstein
capital construction
construction
Fulton street
fulton street transit center
fun
money
MTA
News: NYC
ny times
ny1
real estate
subway
Trade Center
train
transit
world trade center
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NJ Transit riders face 5 weeks of schedule disruptions starting Sunday
NJ Transit and Amtrak riders should prepare for cancellations, schedule changes and longer commutes as work continues on the new Portal North Bridge.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 11, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET
For a Democrat in a traditionally red NJ district, how to woo Republican voters
The first-time Democrat says it’s still “a toss-up race” between her and incumbent GOP Rep. Tom Kean.
By
Mike Hayes
News
For a Democrat in a traditionally red NJ district, how to woo Republican voters
The first-time Democrat says it’s still “a toss-up race” between her and incumbent GOP Rep. Tom Kean.
By
Mike Hayes
2 pedestrians killed in Bronx crash after driver ran red light, police say
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Ann Givens
Rain could put a damper on NYC’s long weekend. Here’s when it will clear.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Holy civics! NYC schools' own comic books in the spotlight at Comic Con
By
Jessica Gould
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .