Station Archway (Half) Revealed

Remember the MTA's press release from February 2012, when the eastern entrance to the Fourth Avenue station was reopened, after a forty-year closure?  It included a projection for completed station renovations.

Although this entrance is now open, there is much more work to come. The set of doors leading to and from 4th Avenue are temporary and the doors leading to and from 10th Street will remain closed at this time. Both sets of doors are scheduled to be completed later this year. In addition, the historic arch spanning 4th Avenue, which had been closed in with advertising billboards on both sides, will be restored. This will give the station a lighter, more open look.

Also underway at the 4th Avenue station:

• Repair and restoration of all exterior tower stone and brickwork;
• Repair and painting of viaduct underside over 4th Avenue;
• Replacement of lighting beneath viaduct over 4th Avenue and sidewalks (will double existing illumination);
• Restoration of all four entrance globes (on 4th Avenue and on 10th Street);
• Restoration of all storefront windows (on 4th Avenue and on 10th Street). There will be 3 stores on the east side and 3 on the west side, and MTA Real Estate is projecting a contract award in 2013;
• Restoration of some platform windows;
• Restoration of station platforms and canopies; and
• Installation of a PA system on station platforms.

Expected completion date for the component work at 4th Avenue-9th Street is fall 2012.

Well, that turned out to be a bit of a joke.  Two years after the "expected completion date" much of the listed work remains unfinished, leaving some riders indignant, and other, less innocent souls, merely wryly amused.  Today, however, marked an exciting development in the station renovation saga.  The scaffolding on the southern side of the archway came down, revealing its dazzling renovation.  And it looks good!  I went up to the F platform, to see if you could look through any of the archway windows, but they're still covered up.  I hope they get opened soon.

 

While things are looking up for the archway exterior, it's business as usual inside the station. In the eastern entrance way, there were familiar looking pools of water, and some listless mopping activities.  

I love the old place.