A Grand Century: 100 Years of Grand Central Terminal

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Grand Central’s admirers rank it well above the city’s younger transit hubs in terms of traffic, efficiency and—no surprise—aesthetics.

“More people go in and out of Grand Central each day than go in and out of LaGuardia each week,” Mr. Lhota said, and Grand Central’s daily visitors nearly outpace J.F.K.’s weekly passengers.

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“And it’s almost breathtaking to compare it to Penn Station. I’m old enough to remember the Penn Station that was torn down. That was equally majestic.”

As maybe the only place New Yorkers actually like commuting through, Grand Central could have been content staying put. But rather than become a well-preserved fossil, the terminal is undergoing a historic growth spurt. The MTA’s East Side Access Project will bring Long Island Railroad trains into the terminal from Jamaica, Queens, across eight tracks nestled 140 feet below ground.

Around 160,000 L.I.R.R. riders will pass through the “caverns” daily once the $8.24 billion project—nearly four times the cost of building the entire complex in today’s dollars—wraps up in August of 2019, according to a source familiar with the development.

Few people who spoke about Grand Central voiced concerns that it might become a victim of its own success, that global retail behemoths like Apple (AAPL) and an influx of Long Island commuters could tip the scales of the terminal’s famed bustle toward congestion.

The recently proposed rezoning of Midtown East, which would allow building density to increase by up to 60 percent in the aging blocks around Grand Central, could also increase traffic wear and tear. (Thanks in part to the building bonanza the new terminal set off, the average Midtown East building is now over 70 years old.)

How can Grand Central evolve and expand as a commuter and visitor crossroads within its protected, magnificent shell? “That’s the beauty of G.C.T.,” Mr. Fleischer said. “It was built with such great capacity. We believe [East Side Access] will work. There will be a separate concourse and tracks, bored out of hollow stone. One reason Grand Central can support this is that it’s been able to adapt over the years.”

A look back at Grand Central’s history before and since 1913 supports the notion of endurance and adaptability despite a fixed bone structure. Ms. Shubert noted the evolution of the site from Grand Central Depot in 1871 to Grand Central Station in 1900 and, finally, Grand Central Terminal.

“That iteration has stood the test of time,” Ms. Shubert said. “I wouldn’t say it’s overcrowded. It might get that way after East Side Access. But it’s interesting to note that there were three Grand Centrals in three decades and this one has lasted a century.”