The Van Nest station of the New Haven Railroad, opened in the late 19th century, was located at the same site.[5][6] The station and the Van Nest neighborhood are believed to be named for Abraham R. Van Nest, an 1870s director of the railroad. A new station building in theDutch revival style was designed byCass Gilbert around 1908, but never built.[7][8]
The railroad's Van Nest Shops were located north of the station. A freight yard opened in 1895, with an electric locomotive repair facility built in 1912. The shops were closed in 1959, with locomotive repair moved to New Haven Yard. The site, with several original buildings still extant, has been used byCon Edison as their Van Nest Yard since 1959.[9]
A 63-month design-build contract for the project was issued in December 2021.[10] In August 2024, theNew York City Council voted to rezone the areas around the Parkchester/Van Nest and Morris Park stations to encourage development around these stations.[11][12]
