In 1924, the
Independent Subway System (IND) submitted its list of proposed subway routes to the
New York City Board of Transportation, which included the construction of the
IND Sixth Avenue Line. The Board approved the program. As part of the construction of the line, the
Hudson and Manhattan Railroad's (now PATH) 23rd Street station had to be rebuilt to provide space for the Sixth Avenue Line's 23rd Street stop, which was to be built at the same level as the Hudson and Manhattan's stop. In 1937, the James McCreery Realty Company, the owner of a building at the southeastern corner of 23rd Street and Sixth Avenue, granted the IND the right to build two staircases outside that building. This station opened on December 15, 1940, as local subway service began on Sixth Avenue from the
West Fourth Street subway station to the
47th–50th Streets station, with track connections to the
IND 53rd Street Line. The Sixth Avenue Line's construction cost $59.5 million. This station replaced the
23rd Street station on the elevated
IRT Sixth Avenue Line, which remained open while construction on the Sixth Avenue subway proceeded, but closed in December 1938. Ground was broken for two new express tracks between the West Fourth Street and
34th Street–Herald Square stations on April 19, 1961. The express tracks were built beneath the surface. The construction was done in two portions. The first section was between West 9th and 19th Streets, and the second section was between West 19th and 31st Streets. Although the express tracks, which went into service in 1967, do not serve this station, provisions were incorporated into the design of the tunnel to permit the addition of a future lower level station here without disturbances to train operation. Under the 2015–2019
MTA Capital Plan, this station, along with 32 others, underwent a complete overhaul as part of the
Enhanced Station Initiative. Updates included cellular service, Wi-Fi, USB charging stations, interactive service advisories and maps, improved signage, and improved station lighting. In January 2018, the NYCT and Bus Committee recommended that Judlau Contracting receive the $125 million contract for the renovations of
57th and 23rd Streets on the IND Sixth Avenue Line;
28th Street on the
IRT Lexington Avenue Line, and 34th Street–Penn Station on the
IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line and
IND Eighth Avenue Line. However, the MTA Board temporarily deferred the vote for these packages after city representatives refused to vote to award the contracts. The contract was put back for a vote in February, where it was ultimately approved. The subway station was closed for renovations on July 23, 2018, Access to the PATH station was retained during the renovation via the street stairs on the southern side of the station, which are owned by the Port Authority; hence, those entrances were not renovated. ==Station layout==