Sunnyside Yard
Sunnyside Up
T
By Angela Matua housing units
The long-awaited study to determine
how feasible it would be for the city to
develop the 180-acre Sunnyside Yards
was released on Monday, and it found
such a project would come with a staggering
price tag.
According to the Economic Development
Corporation (EDC), Mayor Bill de
Blasio’s plan to build a deck over the
rail yard, which is owned by the MTA
and Amtrak, could cost between $16
and $19 billion. Sunnyside Yards also
serves New Jersey Transit and Long
Island Rail Road, where storage tracks
and maintenance facilities are being built
as part of the East Side Access project.
The EDC proposed three different
test cases that would focus on developing
a mostly residential project, a
“live/work/play” project or making it a
“destination” project with mostly mixeduse
development.
The residential option would create
between 18,000 and 24,000 units of
housing. About 5,400 to 7,200 of those
units would be considered affordable
housing. According to the test case,
13 to 19 schools would also be built on
the property if that option was chosen.
The second test case would contain
office space, retail, 10 to 14 schools but
less housing. The third option would
create no office space but would contain
16,000 to 22,000 units of housing,
600,000 to 800,000 square feet
of neighborhood retail and 10 to 14
schools.
The study found that decking and
construction is feasible in 80 to 85
percent of the yard and 15 to 20 percent,
primarily over the Main Line, is
infeasible. Areas of the yard that are
“cost prohibitive” or infeasible could
become parks, roads or open spaces.
A 70-acre area deemed the “Core
Yard” would be ideal for initial development,
according to the study. The
development would require “thoughtful
phasing and sequencing of investments”
over a 15-year period and a “significant
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expansion” of mass transit would be required
to support the influx of residents
and employees coming to the area.
“Sunnyside Yards represents one of
our greatest opportunities to invest in
the affordable housing, good jobs, open
space and public transit western Queens
needs,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing
and Economic Development Alicia Glen.
“Working with independent engineers,
Amtrak and multiple agencies, we have
taken a hard look at what it will take
to build over the Yard. It’s challenging,
but it’s both physically and financially
feasible. We look forward to bringing
these results back to the community,
elected officials and other stakeholders
as we explore this incredible opportunity
to connect neighborhoods and build a
stronger city.”
Local elected officials are more skeptical
about the feasibility study. State
Senator Michael Gianaris said he would
not support a plan without approval from
the surrounding community.
Developing
Sunnyside
Yards could
cost up to
$19 billion and
produce 24,000
“Any future development must ensure
adequate infrastructure to handle our
growing population, including additional
schools, parks and open spaces, and
vastly improved mass transit, particularly
on the 7 line,” he said in a statement. “I
will intensify my efforts to see these
needs addressed before thousands of
new residents are added to our neighborhood
and will not support any plan that
does not have the community’s approval.”
Now that the study has been completed,
the city will collect feedback from
surrounding communities beginning
this spring. In 2018, Amtrak will begin
constructing a new High Speed Rail
Facility in Sunnyside Yards to accommodate
new trains. EDC and Amtrak
have agreed to a plan that will allow
the city to build above this new facility.
The city will also work to conduct an
analysis to come up with “local and regional
transportation solutions, a refined
development program, and a strategy
for governance and implementation.”
