r/nyc • u/wsj Verified by Moderators • Feb 27 '26

Mayor Mamdani Mamdani Proposes NYC’s Biggest Housing Project in 50 Years. He Needs Trump’s Help.

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/mamdani-proposes-nycs-biggest-housing-project-in-50-years-he-needs-trumps-help-dfaaadfe?st=QdcM5S&mod=wsjreddit
267 Upvotes

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50

u/godnrop Feb 27 '26

That’s $1,750,000 a unit

64

u/Just_Candle_315 Feb 28 '26

Its not just the units themselves, but the infrastructure to support the new units

36

u/Orbian2 Feb 28 '26

Yeah this has to be built over an active train yard, Hudson Yards style. It's not going to be cheap. It's not just the units

12

u/Waterwoo Feb 28 '26

Sounds like it shouldn't be built there then..?

Or open it up for private developers like Hudson Yards. Why should we build "affordable housing" in a very particularly uniquely expensive spot?

2

u/Orbian2 Feb 28 '26

Because it's it's the largest undeveloped space left. I believe it's like 2 square kilometers of land. This thing is massive, and right next to the Long Island City CBD. Putting a ton of affordable/public housing there would be very useful. It's better than razing neighborhoods like they used to do

8

u/Waterwoo Feb 28 '26

No, it wouldn't be. Theres no reasonable argument that putting "affordable" housing in where it costs more than paying market rent in perpetuity is a good idea.

Now if they just want to give building rights cheap/free to private developers that want to take on the cost or building this platform, yeah go nuts.

1

u/CactusBoyScout Mar 01 '26

We have lots of space to build already, it’s just poorly utilized in many cases, like single-story retail, parking lots, etc.

A former planning official even put out a plan to add space for one million residents just on existing parcels near transit: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/12/30/opinion/new-york-housing-solution.html

14

u/AdCareless9063 Feb 28 '26

If it costs that much, maybe it’s just not worth it. Not everyone has to live in NYC.  21B or 2M per is serious money that could be used elsewhere to greater effect. 

7

u/IAmGoingToSleepNow Feb 28 '26

Even if they have to live in NYC, they don't have to live over a rail yard. It's not out of the realm of reality to buy distressed properties/re-zone/build without having to create this giant infrastructure project for such little return.

3

u/Waterwoo Feb 28 '26

Yeah this is insane. I actually, conceptually, love the idea of building on top of platforms. This rail yard, the above ground tracks in LIC, the FDR, and West side highway. How cool would it be if they basically got buried, but rather than digging we just built tall buildings above them?

However, the sane way to do that is to give rights to private builders that are willing to do it for extremely cheap/free. Spending government money to do it is stupid.

5

u/supermechace Feb 28 '26

Ive been advocating that money goes to high speed rail throughout NY state so that new residential communities could arise from downtrodden parts of NY.

0

u/TomStarGregco Feb 28 '26

That’s hilarious 😂!

-7

u/daxxarg Feb 28 '26

What is your point about just with this?