Hell’s Kitchen residents have long endured the congestion, pollution, and pedestrian chaos that come with hosting the busiest bus terminal in the world. Now, as the Port Authority embarks on its $10 billion overhaul of the aging Port Authority Bus Terminal, there’s hope — and skepticism — about one of the most locally cherished elements of the plan: the promise of a 3.5-acre elevated park space that could one day cap the Dyer Avenue cut between W37th and W39th Streets.
Portions of Dyer Avenue will be decked over in preparation for the new bus terminal replacement. Photo: Phil O’Brien
But at a recent Manhattan Community Board 4 meeting, members of the Waterfront, Parks and Environment Committee pressed Port Authority executives on whether the park would truly materialize as promised, and if it’s genuinely funded — or just a pleasant rendering at the tail end of a massive infrastructure project.
Port Authority representatives laid out the five key components of the redevelopment, including two deck-over platforms currently under construction. These platforms, which are slated to serve as temporary bus staging areas during the demolition and reconstruction of the main terminal, are being built first and are planned to be completed by 2027. The community-focused open space, however, won’t be realized until after the terminal’s completion, estimated in 2032 at the earliest.
Though the deck-overs will be the first part of the project to begin construction, the conversion to open green space will not happen until the very end. Rendering: PANYNJ
“We are committed to converting these into open space after construction,” said a Port Authority representative, David Torrres. “That’s always been part of the plan.” PA colleague Hersh Parekh emphasized that the deck-over portion is already fully funded and the contract has been awarded, with construction barriers already being installed.
Still, CB4 members were wary. “This community has a lot of experience with platform decks and how expensive they are,” committee member Matt Green noted, questioning whether the open space was fully protected from future budget cuts. “We don’t want to get to 2032 and find out the money ran out.”
Additional concerns ranged from the park’s lack of plumbing for future bathrooms, to the intrusive placement of a large vent structure right where pedestrians would enter the space. “That’s the cheap way out,” committee member Brad Pascarella said bluntly. “If that vent was in the way of a bus pier, it would be moved.”
A Port Authority-owned lot on W39th Street will be incorporate into the deck over. Photo: Phil O’Brien
In response, the Port Authority’s team explained that some decisions, like the vent structure’s location, are dictated by fire safety codes and engineering constraints. They also acknowledged that while the deck itself will not be built with plumbing or solar infrastructure, those features could be considered later during the community design phase, expected to start a year after construction begins on the staging and ramp structures.
The agency also pointed to its broader environmental goals, saying that while solar panels weren’t currently planned, The Port Authority is committed to net-zero emissions by 2050 and exploring solar installations across all facilities.
View of Dyer Avenue from W37th Street looking north to where the southern deck over will be constructed. Photo: Phil O’Brien
One unresolved issue was who will actually maintain the open space once it is built. According to the Port Authority, that question remains open and would be part of “a broader governance conversation” in the future.
For a community tired of temporary solutions and broken promises, the park represents more than just green space — it’s a symbol of whether Hell’s Kitchen will finally get something back from decades of giving. As board member Pascarella summed it up: “This is a $10 billion project. We can’t even get a garbage bin — and we’re supposed to trust a park’s coming in 2032?”