NY7 candidates mostly support Sunnyside Yard plan – even if Trump is involved

Queens congressional candidates are mostly behind a plan to bring housing to Sunnyside Yard. Eagle photo by Ryan Schwach

By Ryan Schwach

All four Democratic candidates seeking to represent parts of Western Queens and Northern Brooklyn in Washington say they support the idea of funding a massive redevelopment of Sunnyside Yard with federal money – but are wary of who they may have to do business with in order to get the project over the finish line.

Assemblymember Claire Valdez, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, City Councilmember Julie Won and attorney Vichal Kumar, all of whom are running to replace retiring Representative Nydia Velázquez in the 7th Congressional District, said that they generally support the surprise proposal from Mayor Zohran Mamdani and President Donald Trump to redevelop Sunnyside Yard, which sits smack in the middle of the congressional district.

The four progressive candidates vying to replace the trailblazing Velázquez were asked whether they support the massive proposal at a candidate forum on Wednesday night at Sunnyside Community Services.

Won and Kumar both answered “yes, with conditions,” and Valdez and Reynoso both answered affirmatively.

In February, Mamdani came out of a previously unannounced meeting with President Donald Trump with a proposal to resurrect a failed city plan to build housing over Sunnyside Yard.

The ambitious project would cost at least $21 billion, and would require the construction of a massive deck over the existing rail yard to build 12,000 units of housing on top.

While a number of locals and community leaders the Eagle spoke to in April were supportive of the plan, not much is known about how or when it may come to fruition – and many were worried about Trump’s potential involvement.

Won, who currently represents Sunnyside in the Council, has been vocally hesitant about the proposal since it was shared in the surprise announcement. The lawmaker has made a habit of questioning large housing proposals in her district during her time in the Council – and the Sunnyside Yard has proven no different.

Won called for more opportunities for community input on any future proposals for Sunnyside Yard during a town hall meeting regarding the proposal in April. Immediately following the Oval Office meeting between Trump and Mamdani, Won pushed back because no locals or officials were notified about the meeting, or that developing Sunnyside Yard was even on the table.

In a lengthy statement on Thursday, Won explicitly called for a Sunnyside Yard proposal to go through the city’s land use review process “to ensure that the current City Council and current residents have a formal seat at the table.”

She also said any plan would need to meet infrastructure needs as well, and include the constriction of schools, libraries and flood resiliency measures.

“When I’m elected to Congress I will work to see this proposal through,” she said. “I will make sure we have a plan that is guaranteed to be successful and meet our needs, and I will support the plan once these conditions…have been satisfied.”

Won’s wariness is shared at least somewhat by her primary opponents.

Reynoso, Velázquez’s hand-picked successor, told the Eagle on Thursday he “looks forward to working closely with Mayor Mamdani and federal partners to get this project done,” but admitted he was worried about working with Trump.

“We must be very careful and wary of efforts to collaborate with Trump,” he said in a statement to the Eagle. “We all know the president can pull money from a project depending on what side of the bed he woke up on, but congress has the power of the purse, and I will always stand up for affordable housing investments, regardless of whether Trump and his lawless administration are on our side.”

Valdez, who is backed by Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America, said that she is less concerned about needing to deal with Trump in her potential role in Congress, and said her role would be more about advocating for funding.

“Sunnyside Yard is a generational opportunity to address our housing crisis,” said Valdez. “This is our moment to not just build housing, but to use public investment to build beautiful, union-built housing that is affordable for everyone, from grocery store clerks and artists to nurses and teachers.”

“I'm looking forward to the public input process and shaping that vision together,” she added.

Kumar, a career public defender with the highest mountain to climb to victory in the district, said Congress needs to fight for affording housing regardless of who is in the White House.

“We cannot leave an opportunity to create real affordable housing on the table,” he said in an email to the Eagle. “There's a difference between cooperating with this administration and being effective despite it. I'm running to do the second.”

Kumar specified that any Sunnyside Yard proposal must be affordable and that rents should reflect the income of the Sunnyside area.

Sunnyside Yard was just one of many topics all four candidates were in agreement on during Wednesday’s forum.

All four expressed support for universal healthcare, as well as the general need for increased affordability.

The only noticeable split came when they were asked for their deli orders – Kumar said his go-to is pepper turkey, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, salt, pepper, oil and vinegar; Reynoso went with the classic bacon, egg and cheese with salt, pepper, ketchup, and an added twist of mayonnaise; Valdez’s said she likes a simple egg and cheese with pepper on a roll; and Won’s order was a chopped cheese with jalapenos on a roll.

According to an Emerson/PIX 11 poll released this week, the race is anyone’s game.

Around 43 percent of respondents said they were undecided in the race.

Valdez led among voters who have made their decision, with 23 percent, followed by Reynoso with 21 percent and Won with 13 percent. Kumar registered around one percent.

The primary election for the 7th Congressional District is June 23.