President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani have agreed to advance discussions on a major housing development over the Sunnyside rail yard in Queens, reviving plans for what city officials describe as a potential new neighborhood with thousands of homes and tens of thousands of jobs.
The two met for about an hour at Gracie Mansion on September 21, where they discussed housing, the city’s cost of living and the proposed Sunnyside Yard project. Mamdani said housing officials from City Hall and the White House would establish a new level of coordination to work through the project’s technical and development challenges.
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Mamdani has proposed building approximately 12,000 housing units on a platform constructed over the active rail yard, along with an estimated 30,000 jobs. The project could cost about $21 billion, according to the mayor, and would require federal approvals and financial support in addition to city and state resources.
Trump expressed support for advancing the project, describing Sunnyside Yard as a significant opportunity while acknowledging that substantial federal approvals and potentially federal funding would be needed. The president said he had been watching efforts to develop the site for decades and called it a strong location for the proposed neighborhood.
The Sunnyside Yard complex covers about 180 acres and is used by Amtrak, the Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit. Earlier planning concepts envisioned constructing a deck over roughly 115 acres of the rail yard, creating new space for housing, commercial development, schools, libraries, public areas and transportation connections between surrounding Queens neighborhoods.
The project has been under discussion for years because of the engineering and financial challenges involved in building above an active rail facility. Mamdani has said the proposed development would provide an opportunity to add housing in an area where available land is limited, while creating a new mixed-use neighborhood connected to Astoria, Long Island City, Sunnyside and Woodside.
The latest agreement does not constitute a final funding commitment or construction approval. Instead, it moves the project into a more coordinated planning phase between the city and federal governments. Further work will have to address the engineering requirements, financing, federal approvals, and other infrastructure issues before construction can begin.
The meeting also marked Trump’s first meeting with Mamdani in New York City since the mayor took office. Their discussions come despite significant political differences, with both officials emphasizing areas where their administrations can cooperate, particularly on housing development and lowering the cost of living for New Yorkers.
