Time for de Blasio to get to work on Penn Station

Manhattan offices are pulling back plans to reopen

As I wrote on Wednesday New York City’s workforce will not be flocking back anytime soon because of shots and jabs that have little to do with vaccinations.

Now a new report from the the Partnership for New York City confirms that many private sector employers are pulling back their plans to open up offices after Labor Day.

The survey cites a dramatic drop from 62% of offices that were planning back in May to be open to just 41% now. Many respondents say they are looking at January 2022 as the next possible time frame for returning workers.

Currently Manhattan has a 23% occupancy rate for office workers, according to the report.

While many businesses cite the Delta variant as the culprit for the delay, overall worker safety is said to be a high priority as well.

On Monday a New Jersey commuter was shot in the leg outside Penn Station and Wednesday a tourist was punched and attacked by a homeless man in Times Square, who was arrested by police.

These two incidents only add to the growing assaults and shootings in Midtown Manhattan recently.

On Wednesday New York City mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa toured the homeless encampment formerly known as Penn Station proclaiming it is a “humanitarian crisis”.

Penn was once the biggest hub for New Jersey and Long Island commuters to enter and leave the city.

“There are men and women who have been living in the bowels of Penn Station and the outskirts for years,” Sliwa said. “They set up shop. They have couches, they have chairs, they have tables. As it’s their own personal co-op.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio may pride himself on 10.5 million vaccinations, but if he doesn’t take back Penn Station and the streets of Midtown the commute for many Manhattan workers will be continue to be walking down the hallway to a spare bedroom.