Michael Oreskes

New York

Executive Editor at Global GoalsCast

ExecEditor: @GlobalGoalsCast Journalist. Author on #Constitution and why it matters. Writer on #News, #Politics, #Media. Retweets mean ideas should circulate.

Articles

Backers Wonder If Any Casino in Manhattan Will Ever Get an OK from CBs and Activists

1 month ago | otdowntown.com | Michael Oreskes

Can any proposal for a casino in Manhattan survive the widespread resistance from local community boards and neighbors? That question hangs over the three surviving proposals for Manhattan casinos after the sudden collapse of the biggest of all of them, the $12-billion Wynn Resorts/RelatedCompanies plan to at long last deck over the western end of Hudson Yards and build an 80 story gaming palace and hotel.
Andy Byford tapped to Head Amtrak Redevelopment Plan for Penn Station

1 month ago | otdowntown.com | Michael Oreskes

Andy Byford, who has run rail agencies on three continents, has agreed to take over the renovation and possible expansion of Penn Station, New York's most tangled transportation, real estate and political conundrum. Byford sealed the deal after a meeting at the White House Thursday with President Trump, the one-time New York developer who has taken a special interest in both the future of Penn Station and other Manhattan transit issues, like congestion pricing, which he opposes.
Where Have You Gone, Andy Byford? Penn Station Turns Its Lonely Eyes to You

1 month ago | otdowntown.com | Michael Oreskes

It is coming on two years since Andy Byford, the much-loved "Train Daddy" of New York City Transit, touted the "golden opportunity" to not just rebuild Penn Station but revamp the chaos of how trains move in and out of it. Byford stressed back then that he was speaking from his (considerable) experience as a transit operator and not on behalf of his current employer, Amtrak, which happens to own Penn Station. But if asked, Byford said, he would be happy to have a look at the situation.
Andy Byford to the Rescue?

1 month ago | otdowntown.com | Michael Oreskes

It is coming on two years since Andy Byford, the much-loved "Train Daddy" of New York City Transit, touted the "golden opportunity" to not just rebuild Penn Station but revamp the chaos of how trains move in and out of it. Byford stressed back then that he was speaking from his (considerable) experience as a transit operator and not on behalf of his current employer, Amtrak, which happens to own Penn Station. But if asked, Byford said, he would be happy to have a look at the situation.
Trump Admin Says It's Not Footing Entire Cost to Renovate Penn Station

2 months ago | otdowntown.com | Michael Oreskes

When the Trump administration seized control of plans to renovate Penn Station, Gov. Hochul said New Yorkers had won a major victory. "I want to thank the President and [Transportation ] Secretary Duffy for taking on the sole responsibility to deliver the beautiful new $7-billion station that New Yorkers deserve," she said.
A New Classical Penn Station? This Backer's Plan Inspired by Grand Original

2 months ago | otdowntown.com | Michael Oreskes

Joseph Klingenstein must have known the architectural masterpiece was doomed when he took his grandson to see it. Visiting the iconic locations of New York was a thing for Grandpa Joe and his grandson, Tom. The Statue of Liberty. The Empire State Building. Yankee Stadium. The Stock Exchange, which was particularly appropriate since Joseph Klingenstein was the co-founder of Wertheim & Co., the legendary investment firm.
Hochul's Retreat on Penn Station Expansion, Will Spare Entire Block from Demolition

Mar 20, 2025 | otdowntown.com | Michael Oreskes

Governor Hochul pulled the rug out from under Amtrak's hope to double the capacity of Penn Station by tearing down the block immediately south of the present station. "I'm not going to destroy a neighborhood," the Governor said. She specifically rejected the demolition of block 780, the tax designation for the block between seventh and eighth avenues south of 31st street.
Communicating the Pandemic

Mar 19, 2025 | otdowntown.com | Michael Oreskes

I still remember the chill I felt watching Dr. Demetre Daskalakis in that video. "It's already here," he was saying, like the scientist in a sci-fi film warning that the alien invasion was underway. It was the 10th of March, 2020. The Novel Coronavirus had been spreading since some time late the year before, first in China and, by then, in Italy. Yet here in New York City, where both Dr. Daskalakis and I lived and worked, life had been continuing pretty much as always.
New $7.5B Penn Plan-This One Put Forth by Allies of Trump

Mar 12, 2025 | otdowntown.com | Michael Oreskes

The time has come to make Penn Station great again. That not particularly subtle message to Donald J. Trump-who routinely boasts that he was a great New York deal-maker before becoming President-was sent to Washington by a high-powered advocacy group called the Grand Penn Community Alliance, a grassroots organization underwritten by Trump allies who strongly support a revival of classical architecture.
What Does It Mean?

Feb 21, 2025 | otdowntown.com | Michael Oreskes

It is unlikely that James Madison, when he was writing the Federalist Papers for publication in New York in 1788, contemplated the need for congestion pricing in lower Manhattan, which at the time had a population of around 30,000 and extended only as far north as present day Broome street. But a President who would declare himself King? That was right in Madison's wheelhouse.