These two old subway stations are getting a $100 million refresh
Two of the most historic and run-down subway stations in the MTA’s system might be getting some major renovations that could cost upwards of $100 million, according to MTA documents. The two stations getting the glam-over would be the Chambers Street station in Downtown Manhattan and 190th Street Station in Washington Heights, which have long been in desperate need of repairs.
Gothamist first reported the news today, saying the “the plan was revealed in a request for bids published by the MTA last year.”
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If you’ve ever been inside any of the two stations, then you’ve probably noticed that every corner of their insides seem to be falling apart.
At Chambers Street station, for example, there are dozens of missing tiles from every column, plus leaks that leave behind questionable brown puddles of liquid and exceptionally funky smells, even by New York City subway standards. This station serves the J and Z lines.
The 190th Street Station, which services the A line, similarly has many of its tiles gone or broken and the ceilings are chipping, moldy, or both. It’s clear from their skeletons that both stations were once beautiful, and that restoring them to their former glory won’t be cheap.
At this point, the MTA is looking for design-build teams to submit their qualifications for the project. The project is seeking a company that can “complete historically sensitive repair and replacement or renovation work, replacement of station stairs, installation of new artwork, constructing new track walls at the Chambers Street Station and constructing an ADA path of travel at the 190 Street Station.”
Both stations have good bones. The 190 Street Station is even listed on the National Register of Historic Places with its distinctive granite clad entrance house along Fort Washington Avenue and Bennet Ave. It is also one of the deepest stations in the entire system, Gothamist reported.
As for the $100 million price tag, it’s expected that MTA will foot the bill entirely. Once construction begins, it’s estimated to take two years. Costs aside, it’s exciting to think that these stations, which became notable for their craftsmanship and details, could be returned to some semblance of their former glory.
Time Out reached out to the MTA for more information on the planned renovations, but they did not immediately respond to requests for comment.