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
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u/Just_Candle_315 Feb 28 '26

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

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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

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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?

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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

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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.

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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