NEW YORK (AP) – Catching a train at New York’s crowded Penn Station is no thrill. But a development team has proposed a novel plan to overhaul the station: Build a 1,200-foot thrill ride on top of it and pay for renovations by charging $35 a ticket.
The plan submitted to state officials envisions a transparent tower called the Halo with 11 gondolas offering free-fall rides of varying speeds.
“You’re experiencing New York City in an unforgettable way,” said Alexandros Washburn, president of Brooklyn Capital Partners, the partnership behind the plan. “It’s something you will not be able to do anywhere else in the world.”
John Gerber, chairman of Brooklyn Capital Partners, said the ride is feasible from an engineering standpoint, but he acknowledged that government agencies and New Yorkers might not embrace the idea.
Other ideas floated for renovating the station have included more traditional concepts, like building office towers.