Trump considering moving iconic Madison Square Garden to make room for major construction project
A plan to rebuild New York City’s Penn Station and relocate Madison Square Garden has reportedly caught the attention of the president, according to sources. He appeared open to approving the project if billionaire arena owner James Dolan agreed to move forward.
Sources told Gothamist that a group of politically connected Trump insiders presented the plan during a previously unreported September Oval Office meeting. If approved, it would transform Midtown Manhattan by moving the Garden from its site atop Penn Station, which serves 600,000 daily riders from New York City, New Jersey, Long Island, and out-of-state Amtrak commuters.
The meeting occurred months before Amtrak announced the nonprofit’s plan as one of three finalists for the station’s overhaul. Four attendees said Trump is seriously considering relocating the historic arena. The group behind the proposal, the Grand Penn Community Alliance, is funded by conservative donor Thomas Klingenstein.
Sources said the proposal aims to restore Penn Station to its former architectural glory before it was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the arena. Publicly released last March, it features Greco-Roman columns, a large clock, a glass roof, and would replace the arena’s current location with a fountain and green lawn between the new Penn and Moynihan Train Hall. The 19,000-seat arena would move across Seventh Avenue.
Trump knew the plan’s success depended on Dolan, who owns the New York Knicks and has long resisted relocating the Garden, but he has not dismissed the idea. The closed-door meeting highlights the behind-the-scenes work before Amtrak names a “master developer” for Penn Station, expected in May. While the Grand Penn plan is the only one proposing to move the Garden, federal officials anticipate investing billions.
Last year, President Trump’s administration moved control of the Penn Station rebuild from the MTA to Amtrak and the U.S. Department of Transportation. A source said everyone involved knew Trump would have the final say. White House spokesperson Kush Desai said Trump is “personally invested in revitalizing New York Penn Station.”
The transformation has been shrouded in secrecy due to a gag order on the three competing plans, frustrating local elected officials and limiting public details about the multibillion-dollar project.
