Watch CBS News

MSG Given 10-Year Permit Extension; Vote Indicates Arena May Be Forced To Move

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The New York City Council has voted to limit Madison Square Garden's permit to operate at its current spot above Penn Station to 10 years.

The Council voted 47-1 on Wednesday on the 10-year limit. Councilman Charles Barron was the lone dissenting vote.

The Garden had requested to operate at the site in perpetuity. The city planning commission recommended a 15-year extension.

MSG Given 10-Year Permit Extension; Vote Indicates Arena May Be Forced To Move

"Madison Square Garden will have to move and I think this permit sends a message that that work needs to begin now," City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said following the vote.

MSG Given 10-Year Permit Extension; Vote Indicates Arena May Be Forced To Move

Civic organizations are campaigning to move Madison Square Garden to another location so that Penn Station can be overhauled.

Quinn said the 10-year plan will eventually help Penn Station rise above ground.

"Not I guess what Sen. [Daniel Patrick] Moynihan or others historically described as a bunch of rat tunnels that lead people in and out of the city every day," said Quinn. "I believe we will come to a plan moving forward and I think the fact that the permit is going to expire is going to create the urgency to make that a reality."

Kim Kerns, a spokeswoman for the Garden, noted that the arena is in the midst of a three-year renovation costing nearly $1 billion.

Kerns said Madison Square Garden has operated at its current site "for generations.''

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.