As the busiest transit hub in the nation and a crucial economic centerpiece, Penn Station pulses with activity at all hours, as about 600,000 riders move through its dark, dingy halls each day.

The building has been the subject of decades of very public and so far unsuccessful campaigns to renovate it.

But the latest attempt to reimagine a space where a Beaux-Arts treasure once stood remains a remarkably quiet and private affair, even as three finalists prepare responses to a request for proposals by Amtrak, which owns the facility.

It's the latest step as the national passenger rail system attempts to accomplish what generations of elected officials, rail executives and advocates have failed to do: transform the station into a modern, bright, safe and accessible one-level facility.

It's undoubtedly easier said than done.

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Behind it all is a familiar face: Andy........

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