Mamdani Proposes Reviving Sunnyside Yard Project in Meeting With Trump

"Sunnyside Yard has all the ingredients that Trump could wish for. The project involves building a massive platform over the sunken tracks, which will require substantial federal funding. Amtrak owns much of the railyard, and the government effectively owns Amtrak, which means the president can largely set the terms."

"The MTA, overwhelmed with other priorities (including its plans to rebuild Penn Station and extend the Second Avenue Subway), wasn't interested in a new Sunnyside station. Bill de Blasio ran out of time to push the project through public approvals, and his successor, Eric Adams, expressed zero interest in reviving it."

Sunnyside Yard, a long-stalled development project in Queens, is being revived through a pitch to President Trump by NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The project would create approximately 12,000 new apartments by constructing a massive platform over sunken railroad tracks. The development appeals to Trump because it involves substantial federal funding and leverages government ownership of Amtrak, which controls much of the railyard, giving the president significant control over project terms. The proposal has existed for over a decade but faced delays due to the pandemic and lack of political support from previous administrations, including de Blasio and Adams.

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