Here's a look at the finished exterior (it appears workers are doing the inside portion next)...
The landmarked station opened here in 1904 (EVG was first to report on this, though the New York World claimed an exclusive).
Here's a little more history via Wikipedia, which basically picked this up from
the National Register of Historic Places:
The structure is an imitation of the IRT's original entrance and exit kiosks, extremely ornate structures made of cast iron and glass. The IRT kiosks were inspired by those on the Budapest Metro, which themselves were inspired by ornate summer houses called "kushks."The Astor Place entrance is a reproduction installed in the 1980s and was made at the same factory as the originals. The replica was largely based on photographs by renovating architect Rolf Ohlhausen. Like the original entrance kiosks, it has a domed roof with cast-iron shingles."