EDC unveils master plan for Sunnyside Yards

While reports have indicated that the deck would cost upwards of $14 billion, Meagher said the cost for public infrastructure, such as new streets, parks and utilities, has yet to be determined, and would likely be public investments.

Creating the deck and developable land will be another set of costs, and who pays for that will depend on the use, Meagher said. Any housing, schools or libraries would require public investment as well. While the investments in housing are still far into the future, the city is committed to making a “substantial funding contribution” for the Sunnyside Station.

Though there’s no dollar amount attached to the regional transit hub idea yet, Amtrak is supportive of the idea and the MTA is “open to the concept,” Meagher said.

“We think it has the potential to be a transformative investment,” he said. “It’s something people brought up again and again.”

In the master plan, EDC also calls for a new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line connecting Queens and Midtown Manhattan, as well as potential for a new subway line in the borough. Because the Sunnyside Station is something that can be accomplished in the near-term — Meagher said having it done within a decade is a reasonable goal –– EDC will push for infrastructure investments like the rail hub before pursuing the larger housing plan.

Meagher said building out pieces of the deck and all of the affordable housing would likely happen in phases over a period of several decades.

“The plan takes an infrastructure-first approach,” he said. EDC and Amtrak began the master planning process in summer 2018 by creating a steering committee made up of elected officials, community leaders, policy experts and advocates. Some members, like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sylvia White from the Justice for All Coalition, left the steering committee in opposition to the project.

Altogether, the process incorporated feedback from four workshops, three public meetings, a digital town hall and over 100 public interviews, according to EDC.

“We benefited enormously from those discussions,” Deputy Mayor Vicki Been said in a statement, “and the master plan responds to the feedback by putting neighborhood needs for transit, affordable housing, and open space first, to ensure that future development is responsible, inclusive and fair.”

In response to the master plan, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney said in a statement that she’s “encouraged” by the inclusion of the Sunnyside Station. She added that she will not support any plan that falls short of 100 percent affordable housing and additional green space.

“I will not stop fighting to ensure that the Sunnyside Yard project meets the current and future needs of Queens residents, is a holistic approach and is driven by community priorities,” she said.

The immediate next step, Meagher said, is for the city and Amtrak to form a nonprofit entity, an organization that will be responsible for stewarding the master plan over time. The entity will have representation from elected officials and community groups.

“It’s important that this master plan be institutionalized and be a living document,” she said. Maloney added that while she’s encouraged by the proposal of the governance entity, she will not support any plan that abandons this approach.

“I will continue to be a fierce advocate for an open dialogue that ensures none of our neighborhood’s voices are left out,” she said.

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