Renderings courtesy of the MTA
A former Penn Station mainstay and favorite of Long Island Rail Road commuters will be the first restaurant to open in Grand Central Madison. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Friday revealed plans to make Tracks Raw Bar & Grill its first major commercial tenant at the new LIRR terminal–which opened in Grand Central last January–as first reported by the New York Post.
The eatery, which was located in Penn Station for 17 years before it was forced to relocate in 2019, will open a new outpost this fall on the concourse level between 47th and 48th Streets, adjacent to an art installation by Yayoi Kusama, according to Gothamist.
The restaurant won the lease through a competitive bid. The MTA is proposing a 10-year lease and charging Tracks $216,000 in rent for its first year, plus 12 percent of all its gross sales that exceed $2.5 million. The agreement also requires that Tracks build out its restaurant space for roughly $1 million.
Tracks first opened in 2003 between the LIRR ticket windows and Tracks 18 and 19 at Penn Station and quickly became a favorite among commuters. Regulars frequented the restaurant for its happy hour specials and liveliness in an otherwise dreary space.
In 2019, the beloved restaurant relocated across 31st Street to make way for the station’s new entrance, constructed as the Penn Station renovation plan.
“The MTA is excited that a new location of Tracks will be coming to Grand Central Madison before the end of 2024,” Janno Lieber, MTA Chair and CEO, said in an official statement.
“If you talk to Long Islanders, they’ll tell you about the great times they had lifting a glass with friends and co-workers after a long day or following a Rangers or Knicks victory. Now they can create new memories at our beautiful East Side terminal.”
Despite opening over a year ago, Grand Central Madison’s expansive concourse still lacks vendors. The terminal brings Long Island Rail Road service to Grand Central Terminal, which was first proposed in the 1960s.
According to Gothamist, transit officials are searching for a master tenant to lease all of Grand Central Madison’s commercial spaces.
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Renderings courtesy of the MTA
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