Columbia University Professor Hilary Ballon's opening line from her superb 2002 book entitled, "New York's Pennsylvania Stations" :

"Pennsylvania Station was unnecessary.

The train tracks were four stories underground. Nothing above street level was needed for railroad operations. Functional requirements could have been met by covered entrances at lower depths, like those to the subway. In short, a big station above ground was superfluous."

The Pennsylvania Railroad, the City of New York and the Madison Square Garden Corporation proved that Pennsylvania Station was unnecessary in 1961 by signing a deal to develop the air rights above the Station's fully functional, underground area and destroying the building itself. We have been living without Penn for all of this time.

What makes developing Farley/Moynihan necessary 45 years after the demolition of Penn? If we complete the project now, will someone in 50 years say that the Moynihan project was unecessary?