The New York Public Service Commission adopted plans for what was known as the Broadway–Lexington Avenue route on December 31, 1907.

[6] A short portion of the line, coming off the north side of the Manhattan Bridge through Canal Street to 14th Street–Union Square, opened on September 4, 1917, at 2 P.M., with an eight car train carrying members of the Public Service Commission, representatives of the city government and officials of the BRT, leaving Union Square toward Coney Island.

Service opened to the general public at 8 P.M., with trains leaving Union Square and Coney Island simultaneously.

[9][10] On August 1, 1920, the Montague Street Tunnel opened, extending local service from Lower Manhattan to DeKalb Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn by traveling under the East River.

[14] The perpetrator of the bombings is unknown; they were initially blamed on Galleanists, as Sacco and Vanzetti had been denied appeal three days prior, though police later believed they were unrelated.

Tiles from the previous renovation in the 1970s were removed, restoring the station's original trim line and name tablets.

Both platforms are columnless and have their original BRT-style mosaics and station name tablets reading "28TH STREET" in serif font.

It is composed of glass mosaics inspired by the Toy Center and the surrounding areas of the Garment and Flower District.