Parsons Lands NJT Penn Station Newark Revitalization Contract

Penn Station Newark Main Waiting Room.

New Jersey Transit has awarded a Phase One, $9.2 million contract to a consortium of Parsons Transportation Group, Grimshaw Architects and Steer Group to lead the Master Planning and Design portion of the $190 million Newark Penn Station Revitalization project.

The contract, NJT noted, is “an all-inclusive professional services contract to perform Master Planning, Design Services and Construction Support Services as part of a long-term project for the major restoration and renovation of historic Newark Penn Station.” The agency also approved funding for Phase One of the contract, which includes preparation of a Master Plan and completion of a 10% concept design. NJT President and CEO Kevin Corbett said the contract award “will build on the extensive work already under way to restore this vital transit center to its rightful place as one of the crown jewels of New Jersey.”

As part of the master contract, construction plans will be created that address state-of-good-repair needs as well as long-term capital improvements. These plans “will outline present and future opportunities to better integrate the station within the framework of the growing needs of its surrounding communities,” NJT said, adding that the first phase of renovations “will focus on aesthetics, and longer-term enhancements will focus on improving the station’s openness and overall customer and visitor experience. This major investment will … help spur economic prosperity by providing the opportunity for additional dining and shopping in the concourse area.”

In August 2021, NJT sought proposals from design and construction professionals to restore and modernize Newark Penn Station. “These proposals were judged based on their ability to ensure the station features amenities and functionality that will meet the modern-day expectations of customers traveling through the station, as well as those of residents and businesses,” NJT said. In December 2020, the agency announced $190 million in state funding for the project. 

Opened in 1936 by the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Art Deco-style station, located on the Northeast Corridor (NEC), serves riders of NJ Transit commuter rail, light rail and bus services, as well as Amtrak intercity services and PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) rapid transit. More than 50,000 people used the station daily, pre-pandemic.