New 7 Train Station at Hudson Yards Is Already Falling Apart

When the new 7 train stop at Hudson Yards opened last September, it was the culmination of years of work (and billions of dollars). The station, designed by Dattner Architects, was shiny and new and clean, without that centuries-old subway smell that plagues so many of the other stations.

But just six months after its debut, the Hudson Yards station is already plagued with problems—Gothamist, who first reported on the issues, called it a "crumbling hot mess." What kind of issues are we talking about? Leaking is the biggest one: Per Gothamist, people have documented huge puddles in parts of the station, and during some of the coldest parts of winter, icicles could be seen hanging from the ceiling. Unrelated, but no less crummy, issues include escalators being out of service, and bathrooms being closed for service.

A report in the New York Times today noted that the MTA's board is "frustrated" with the issues, with one person noting that they've caused a "significant blemish on this agency."

For its part, the MTA says that it's working with a contractor to fix the problem; that's expected to take three months at a cost of about $3 million. And MTA chairman Thomas Prendergast committed to an independent review of the station's issues, saying, "What did we know and what actions did we take with respect to trying to correct the conditions that are existing there, so we can find ourselves in a position next time that we don’t have the same outcome?"

In the meantime, maybe wear some rain boots the next time you're going to pass through that station.

• New $2.45 Billion Hudson Yards Station Is Already A Crumbling Hot Mess [Gothamist]
• Leaks at Hudson Yards Station Frustrate M.T.A. Board [NYT]