NEW YORK — Ventilation-fan issues are continuing to delay the opening of the Long Island Rail Road’s new Grand Central Madison station in Manhattan, with a January start to operations now in jeopardy.
The New York Daily News reports Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Janno Lieber said Wednesday that a January start is “possible. But I’m not putting a date on it.”
The problem is with a fan that is supposed to bring air to the caverns that house the new LIRR platforms, some 140 feet below Park Avenue. Lieber said one area near entrance from the existing Grand Central lower level has not been to “suck enough air,” as measured in cubic feet per minute. “We are addressing those engineering issues with a variety of tools.”
Otherwise, the new terminal is done, Lieber said. The MTA had aimed to begin service to the new station before the end of 2022, in keeping with a long-standing target for the much-delayed project {see “Grand Central Madison opening pushed back …,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 30, 2022}.“It’s a code issue, a safety issue,” Lieber said. “It is as if you had a walk-through of a house that is done, and you could smell the new house, and you could smell the new paint, and they told you there is still a village code inspection that needs to take place.”
I was going to quip this problem sucks, but the problem is it is not sucking ( enough air)!!
You would think with all the CAD (Computer Assisted Design) Programs out there, it would be simple these days to get the HVAC system right. OOOPS, forgot that the people who design and engineer everything sit in nice air conditioned/heated offices and never get out into the real world.
My Grand Nephew works for a National HVAC corporation. Only got his Trade School Certification. After 11 years with company he’s field manager. Oversees projects. Always telling design team to change things, in most cases even before he sets foot on job site by reading the Blue Prints. He’s very good at what he does. That’s why he makes more money than most of the design engineers (who have College Degree’s).
Proper ventilation is part of fire codes. So an engineer expert may have to slove problem. It may be a simple solution. But what if it is an interaction with the MNRR vetilation system of GCT? That could make a solution very hard to accomplish. Wonder if MNRR GCT was even consided when designing the HVAC system for the LIRR portion ?. Have no idea what this problem is.
I believe the new LIRR / Grand Central Madison station and tracks are below Park Avenue, not Fifth Avenue.
You are correct. Fixing now. Thanks.