The Megaproject That Mamdani Pitched to Trump

"Trump has been snapping up opportunities to control - and in some cases quash - megaprojects in his hometown. Last October, his transportation department froze $16 billion that the Biden Administration had allocated to Gateway, the intricate complex of tracks, bridges, and a new Hudson River tunnel intended to improve rail service between New Jersey and Manhattan."

"That long-dormant plan would build out one of New York's last great empty swaths - more than six times bigger than Hudson Yards and three times the size of the rail yards that Trump acquired in the 1980s to erect what became Riverside South. If the developer-in-chief still dreams of putting up a Trump City sign on a big chunk of New York, Sunnyside Yard is where he could do it."

"In less than nine months, the federal Department of Transportation took control of the Penn Station renovation, put out a call for design and development teams, and selected three finalists. It has promised to pick one by June. And in case there's any doubt how closely the president is watching, he's reportedly eager to rename the station."

Mayor Zohran Mamdani presented Trump with the Sunnyside Yard development opportunity, a massive project six times larger than Hudson Yards that could allow Trump to leave his mark on Queens. Trump has been strategically controlling megaprojects in New York, including freezing $16 billion in Gateway project funding allocated by the Biden Administration for rail infrastructure between New Jersey and Manhattan. Despite a federal judge's ruling requiring fund release and worker rehiring, the project remains disputed. Simultaneously, the MTA faces potential funding cuts for the Second Avenue Subway. Conversely, Trump's administration rapidly advanced Penn Station renovation, selecting three finalist design teams within nine months and planning to choose one by June, with Trump reportedly interested in renaming the station.

Read at Curbed