Madison Square Garden Must Relocate In 10 Years

posted in: Music News

Here’s something you may not have known before this moment: Arenas can be evicted (by vote, no less), and forced to find a new location.

Madison Square Garden, considered by many to be the most famous arena in the world, has been given notice that they have 10 years to find a new home. According to the New York Times, the New York City Council voted for the eviction on Wednesday amid efforts to renovate the equally well-known Penn Station that sits below it. The 47-1 vote approved a “special permit” that will allow the arena to operate for 10 years while its management seeks to relocate, according to a news release.

“The approval of this permit offers us a great opportunity to reimagine and redevelop Penn Station as a world-class transportation destination and allow time to relocate Madison Square Garden to a new and improved home,” Council Speaker and mayoral candidate Christine C. Quinn said in a statement.

The original Penn Station, which was considered a landmark in its time, was demolished in 1963 to make room for the current Madison Square Garden, which opened in 1968. The MSG land-use permit expired in January, and now the search begins to find a new home.

Moving, of course, is no easy task. The current midtown Manhattan location of MSG is part of what has made it such a world renowned entertainment venue. This is not as much a concern to Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who commented to the press with a message firmly focused on the possibilities the future may hold.

“Imagine 220 mph bullet trains that sweep you to D.C. or Boston in 90 minutes or less. These plans are on the table, but they can only be realized with a modern, renovated Penn Station. That is not possible as long as the Garden sits squarely on top of the nation’s busiest rail transit hub.”