Details of the 12,000-Home Sunnyside Yard Project

A proposed development project in Queens would be the largest housing project built in New York City since the 1970s.

2 minute read

March 18, 2020, 11:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Mega-Developments

New York City and AMtrak / Sunnyside Yard Master Plan

Vince Guerrieri details the long history—back to the 1910 opening (on the same day as Penn Station)—of Sunnyside Yard in Queens, which outlived Pennsylvania Station but could now be headed for new life as a massive development. Guerrieri summarizes the recent developments in the life of Sunnyside Yard:

In 2014, Amtrak, while making its own upgrades to the yards, developed a partnership to use the land, and three years later, a study outlined the possibility of building a concrete deck over the yards to allow development on top of it. A steering committee made up of various stakeholders went through a series of neighborhood consultations and public workshops, and on March 3, the group released its Sunnyside Yard master plan. The development promises 12,000 homes, plus schools, libraries, a new commuter railroad station, a new subway line and a new bus line.

As for the future of the site, the article includes insights from the lead planner for the project, Vishaan Chakrabarti, the founder of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU). "Chakrabarti touts the plan as a forward-thinking idea for a holistic neighborhood, which will be carbon-neutral and optimized for walkability and transit, not cars," according to Guerrieri.

A press release announcing the new master plan provides additional details on the project proposal.

Previous Planetizen coverage of Sunnyside Yard.

 

Monday, March 16, 2020 in CityLab

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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