Gov. Kathy Hochul suggested New Yorkers may feel as if they are “living in hell” when discussing renovations for Penn Station.
Hochul was touting the planned renovations to the station when she mentioned that the upgrades would include a skylight, allowing travelers to see the heavens despite what could feel like hellish surroundings, she said.
“I love this best: 460-foot high atrium and a skylight that reminds you that yes, the heavens are out there still despite the feeling that you may be living in hell,” Hochul said. “That is the experience we are going to create.”
NEW YORK GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES ‘COWARDS’ FOR REFUSING TO DO KARAOKE AT DEBATE
The New York governor appeared to be in a lighthearted mood, apparently joking as she told engineers on the project, “Tell me the timetable, and whatever it is, shave some time off it, whatever we can within the law.”
Penn Station has entered the design phase of its reconstruction and will accept proposals from architecture and engineering firms to guide the new look of the station. Firms will have until July 28 to submit their proposals, and a winning firm will be selected sometime between the end of summer and the beginning of the fall, Hochul announced.
Her allusion to hell may be a reference to the uptick in crime in New York. She signed off on a gun control bill Monday to place tighter restrictions on gun ownership, including regulating semi-automatic rifles in the same way New York regulates semi-automatic pistols, outlawing body armor, and expanding the state’s red flag law.
There were 298 shooting incidents resulting in injury in New York year to date as of May, a 3.6% decrease from the same time period in 2021, according to the state’s Division of Criminal Justice Services. However, there was a 12.7% increase in people killed by gun violence when comparing those time periods, the data show. In New York City, the number of year-to-date criminal complaints rose from 7,548 on June 5, 2021, to 9,537 on Sunday, a 26.35% increase, according to the New York City Police Department.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Hochul, who has suffered plummeting approval ratings since she took over following the August 2021 resignation of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is seeking election to a full term in November.
Representatives for Hochul have not responded to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
