Mamdani asks Trump for $21B for Sunnyside Yard megadevelopment

"Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday pitched President Donald Trump on providing more than $21 billion in federal grants to deck over Sunnyside Yard to pave the way for 12,000 housing units. The administration announced that Mamdani's meeting with the president this week focused, in part, on the funds needed to build a platform over the more than 100 acres of active rail yard."

"New York officials have long envisioned building on the 200-acre site, which runs between Long Island City and Sunnyside in Queens. These visions have languished due to lack of political will, high cost and the complicated nature of building atop active train tracks, a feat that is possible but has proven difficult, as seen with the thousands of affordable housing units that have gone unbuilt at Brooklyn's Pacific Park."

"After the meeting, Mamdani posted a picture on social media of himself standing next to the president, who is seen grinning and clutching two newspaper printouts: One, depicting the famous New York Daily News frontpage headline from 1975, Ford to City: Drop Dead, and the other stating, Trump to City: Let's Build."

Mayor Zohran Mamdani pitched President Trump on providing over $21 billion in federal grants to construct a platform over Sunnyside Yard's 100+ acres of active rail yard, enabling development of 12,000 housing units, including 6,000 Mitchell-Lama-style affordable homes. The administration confirmed the meeting focused on funding needed for this platform construction. Following the meeting, Mamdani shared a photo with Trump holding newspaper headlines contrasting Ford's 1975 'Drop Dead' message with Trump's 'Let's Build' message. City Hall and the White House indicated continued discussions would occur in coming weeks but provided no details on specific grants or funding terms. New York officials have long pursued development at this 200-acre site between Long Island City and Sunnyside, but previous efforts stalled due to political obstacles, high costs, and construction complexities inherent in building over active train tracks.

Read at therealdeal.com