{"id":1598,"date":"2023-09-19T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-19T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.nysmusic.com\/2023\/2023\/09\/19\/madison-square-garden-given-shortest-ever-permit-by-new-york-city-council\/"},"modified":"2023-09-19T14:30:00","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T14:30:00","slug":"madison-square-garden-given-shortest-ever-permit-by-new-york-city-council","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.nysmusic.com\/2023\/2023\/09\/19\/madison-square-garden-given-shortest-ever-permit-by-new-york-city-council\/","title":{"rendered":"Madison Square Garden Given Short 5-Year Permit by New York City Council"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Madison Square Garden<\/a> received the shortest extension in the arena’s history, with The City Council unanimously voting on September 14 to give the venue only a five-year permit to continue to operate above Penn Station in Manhattan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Madison
Photo by Gabriela Bhaskar for The New York Times.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt this time the Council cannot determine the long-term viability of an arena at this location, therefore five years is an appropriate term for this special permit,\u201d said Erik Bottcher, a Manhattan councilman whose district encompasses Madison Square Garden. The arena\u2019s owner, James Dolan\u2019s<\/a> MSG Entertainment, wanted a permanent extension of the operating permit, which expires this year, receiving ten-year permits in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA short-term special permit is not in anyone\u2019s best interest and undermines the ability to immediately revamp Penn Station and the surrounding area,\u201d MSG Entertainment said in a statement. The issue at hand is the ongoing tension between Penn Station and the Garden. There needs to be a creation of a transportation management plan to address \u201cuse conflicts\u201d related to the arena\u2019s loading operations on West 31st Street and pedestrian access, with MSG ordered to provide a plan within six months of its progress. If the venue fails to do so, they could have their operating permit revoked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI still believe that ultimately, we would be able to build the most extraordinary train station if Madison Square Garden was not there,\u201d Bottcher said in an interview.  \u201cI\u2019m still hopeful that would happen someday, but in the immediate term there are plans under consideration that would permit us to have a very extraordinary Penn Station with Madison Square Garden in place.\u2018\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For now, state officials are focused on a $7 billion renovation of the station, putting away a broader redevelopment plan for the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n