New York City mayor John Francis Hylan's original plans for the Independent Subway System (IND), proposed in 1922, included building over 100 miles (160 km) of new lines and taking over nearly 100 miles (160 km) of existing lines.

[5][6] On December 9, 1924, the New York City Board of Transportation (BOT) gave preliminary approval for the construction of the IND Eighth Avenue Line.

The platforms have no trim line, but there are mosaic name tablets reading "110TH STREET CATHEDRAL P'KWAY."

in white sans-serif lettering broken into two lines on a midnight blue background and black border.

Grey (previously blue) I-beam columns run at regular intervals with alternating ones having the standard black station name plate in white lettering.

[24] At the south end of the station, two staircases from each platform go up to a mezzanine above the tracks that allows a free transfer between directions.

From the mezzanine above the tracks at the south end of the station, a turnstile bank provides entrance/exit from the system.

[28] The northbound platform formerly had an entrance/exit to the northeast corner of Frederick Douglass Circle; this entrance corresponded to the open exit to the northwest corner of Frederick Douglass Circle on the southbound platform and is indicated by directional "110" signs without arrows below mosaics of the station name.