Foster + Partners and Epstein to design Port Authority's Midtown Bus Terminal in Manhattan

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey today announced the selection of an architectural joint-venture to assist in developing the agency’s vision for a reimagined, state-of-the-art Midtown Bus Terminal...

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From the architect: The new terminal replacement project will have expanded capacity to accommodate commuter bus growth through 2050 and also accommodate intercity buses that now pick up and drop off on the streets surrounding today’s outdated terminal. The proposed project will also provide new off-street capacity for buses waiting their turn to pick up and drop off, as well as capacity for storing buses between the morning and evening rush periods.

The announcement marks a significant milestone as the Port Authority moves toward replacing the aging 72-year-old bus terminal with a new world-class facility. The new terminal will be designed to provide a best-in-class customer experience that serves the region’s 21st century public transportation needs, while enhancing the surrounding community and allowing for the removal of intercity buses from local streets.

Foster + Partners and the U.S.-based multi-disciplinary design firm A. Epstein and Sons International Inc. will provide architectural design services for the replacement project beginning immediately and throughout the design phase and the environmental review of the proposed project. The Foster + Partners/Epstein team are both leaders in densely populated urban environments, as well as in designing major transportation facilities.

As part of their design effort, the team will review, evaluate, recommend, and provide advisory services on urban design, streetscape, functionalism, community impact, design and spatial strategies, materials, systems, sustainability, and interior design. In addition, it will provide critical support during the ongoing National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review and ensure that the architectural design contemplated is consistent with the Port Authority’s ambitious goals for the proposed project. The firm will provide their services to the Port Authority as advisory and consulting services.

“For more than a century, the Port Authority has led the region and the country with its ability to build bigger and better projects that benefit New Yorkers and New Jerseyans alike,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “In addition to substantive new redevelopment and transportation projects such as the rebuilding of our airports and the World Trade Center campus, the proposal to build a new Midtown Bus Terminal continues our agency’s essential role of delivering major transportation facility projects that can transform entire neighborhoods and revitalize the regional economy. Today’s news demonstrates real momentum for this critical project.”

“The Port Authority’s selection of this exceptional architectural team shows that we are laser-focused on building a truly visionary world-class facility worthy of the region, prioritizing both bus riders and the community surrounding the bus terminal,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “We look forward to working closely with the Foster + Partners/Epstein team to reimagine a new commuter and interstate bus terminal complex for the 21st century.”

“We are delighted to be appointed to the project, continuing to develop and maintain a unified vision for the Midtown Bus Terminal in Manhattan,” said Juan Vieira-Pardo, a partner of Foster + Partners. “Already the world’s busiest bus terminal, the project also has the potential to become the most desirable destination in Midtown. We believe that together with the Port Authority, Epstein, representatives of the surrounding community, stakeholders and passengers, we can help deliver an innovative, state-of-the-art, net zero transportation facility that is fit for the 21st century.”

“We are grateful for the opportunity to align our vision with that of the Port Authority to bring the future of transport and mobility to this vital hub for the entire region,” said Paul Sanderson, the director of Epstein’s New York office. “After over a decade working with local partners to reinvent the Javits Center nearby, we cannot wait to work with the commuters and the community surrounding the bus terminal on this historic project with such transformative potential. The greatest city in the world deserves the best facility in the world, and we aim for no less than that.”

The architectural advisory team will be tasked with ensuring that development of the new proposed facility prioritizes community feedback and industry-leading technology in its design to improve passenger experience, maximize operational efficiencies and foster sustainability. The joint venture was selected following a federally compliant competitive procurement process.